RAF MAN WHO ASKED UNDERAGE GIRLS TO STRIP ONLINE IS SENTENCED OVER INDECENT IMAGES
2015.A serviceman stationed at RAF Leuchars was convicted of encouraging underage girls to remove their clothing online while they were completing their homework, a court was told.
Chesney Wallbank was sentenced to perform 150 hours of unpaid community service during a hearing at Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday.
Additionally, he was placed under a one-year supervision order.
The original community payback requirement was reduced from 200 hours in light of his earlier guilty plea.
He had confessed to taking, enabling the taking of, or creating indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children at RAF Leuchars between April 21, 2011, and June 5, 2013.
During a previous hearing, it was revealed that Wallbank’s potential dismissal from the military was under consideration after internal investigations uncovered indecent images on his laptop, which were linked to allegations that he had falsified documents to participate in training teenage cadets.
Prosecutor Vicki Bell explained that the search of Wallbank’s room was part of this internal probe, leading to the seizure of his laptop and the discovery of inappropriate images during subsequent analysis.
Ms Bell added that the images had been stored temporarily via Windows Live Messenger, and chat logs retrieved from the device showed the defendant requesting 'pictures' and specifically asking for images of girls aged 12-13.
She detailed that Wallbank also asked an anonymous individual to do their homework while naked on a webcam, with evidence of image exchanges during these online conversations.
In total, ten indecent images were identified.
Furthermore, the chat transcripts included comments from girls stating “I’m only 14,” “I don’t want to do that,” and one even told him to 'f*** off.' Sheriff Alastair Brown acknowledged the victim's response with a comment of approval.
All ten images found on the device were classified as Category C — considered indecent but not representing sexual acts.
It was also disclosed that the RAF’s forensic team did not examine Wallbank’s computer for nine months because it was deemed a low-priority case.
