CHRISTOPHER BATHGATE CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN MACMERRY AND EDINBURGH

In a case that has shocked the local community of Macmerry, a resident named Christopher Bathgate has admitted to possessing a significant number of indecent images of children at his home. The disturbing discovery was made during a police raid, which uncovered scores of illicit material stored on his personal devices. Bathgate, aged 34 and originally from the Lothian area, now faces serious charges that have led to his placement on the sex offenders’ register.

The investigation into Bathgate’s activities revealed that he had stored a total of 93 indecent images on his laptop, with an additional 58 images found on a USB stick. These images included some at the most severe end of the spectrum, classified as Category A, indicating the most explicit and disturbing content. The police also uncovered evidence that Bathgate had downloaded movies depicting adults engaged in sexual acts with animals, a form of extreme pornography that is both illegal and morally reprehensible.

The charges against Bathgate stem from a period spanning over five years. He appeared before Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to three separate charges. Prosecutor Aidan Higgins detailed that the police executed a search warrant at Bathgate’s residence in Macmerry on November 15 of the previous year. During the search, officers recovered a laptop and a USB stick, which contained the illicit material.

Further investigation revealed that Bathgate had been using a now-commonly exploited free-to-use website, which police identified as a platform used for posting and exchanging indecent images of children. The authorities found a total of 10 images classified as Category A, 16 images at Category B, and 125 images at Category C, indicating a range of severity in the material stored. Additionally, 21 movies featuring extreme pornographic content were recovered from his devices.

Bathgate’s legal representative, solicitor Murray Robertson, stated that his client was currently undergoing counseling sessions with the organization Stop It Now. A report from this organization is expected to be submitted to the court at the next hearing, which is scheduled for August 10. The sheriff, Frank Crowe, ordered Bathgate to be registered as a sex offender for an unspecified period and deferred sentencing to the same date.

In his plea, Bathgate admitted to possessing indecent images of children and allowing such images to be created at his residence between December 11, 2011, and November 15 of the previous year. He also pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornography involving adults and animals during the same timeframe, highlighting the severity and depravity of his actions.