CHRISTOPHER PATON BANNED AFTER CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES DISCOVERED IN PERTH

A 22-year-old man from Perth has been subjected to a court order banning him from using the internet following serious allegations involving child sexual abuse images. The case was heard at Perth Sheriff Court, where Christopher Paton faced charges related to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children.

It was revealed that Paton had accumulated a total of 355 indecent images over a period spanning from September 26, 2008, to September 27, 2009. These images were found on computers that he shared with his parents, but authorities confirmed that access to these files was restricted to Paton himself through the use of personal passwords. Despite the shared nature of the devices, the evidence indicated that Paton was the sole individual able to view and manage these illicit images.

During the court proceedings, it was also established that Paton admitted to possessing indecent images of children with the intent of sharing or showing them to others. This admission covered the same 12-month period, emphasizing the ongoing nature of his activities. The police investigation was initiated after a search warrant was executed at Paton’s family home on November 4, 2009. Officers recovered two computer towers, a laptop, and several flash drives.

According to the prosecution, Detective Fiscal depute Erin Paterson, during an interview, questioned Paton about the images. He admitted to receiving indecent images of females via his computer. However, he claimed that the images appeared to depict individuals over the age of 16. Despite this assertion, the police confirmed that the images included children as young as three and up to 16 years old, highlighting the severity of the case.

As part of the court’s ruling, Paton was granted bail but under strict conditions. He is prohibited from having any unsupervised access to devices capable of connecting to the internet, aiming to prevent further illegal activity. The case underscores ongoing concerns about online child exploitation and the importance of rigorous law enforcement efforts to combat such crimes.