SCONE JEWELLER CLIVE PRICE SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC CHILD SEX ABUSE VIDEOS IN PERTH

In January 2019, Clive Price, a 61-year-old jeweller from Scone, was sentenced to a year in prison after authorities uncovered a disturbing collection of child sexual abuse images and videos stored on his devices. The court also mandated that he be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a decade, reflecting the severity of his crimes.

The investigation was triggered by police intelligence that led to a raid on Price’s residence in Perth Road, Scone, on January 12, 2018. During the search, Price voluntarily admitted to possessing webcam videos of young girls, claiming, “It’s not that serious,” and insisted that his wife was unaware of his activities. Despite his initial minimization, officers found multiple devices containing a vast array of illicit material, including a Samsung Notebook, Toshiba Hard Drive, Avita USB Stick, Seagate Hard Drive, and a Black and Silver USB. These devices held a horrifying collection of child abuse images and videos, some depicting children as young as five years old.

Police recovered a total of 1,926 indecent images and 1,067 videos of children from these devices, with the videos alone totaling over 250 hours of footage. The material was stored alongside documents related to Price’s jewellery business, revealing a disturbing overlap between his professional and criminal activities. The images and videos spanned a period from February 2, 2009, to November 25, 2017, indicating a prolonged period of offending.

During the court proceedings, the prosecution detailed the extent of the material found. Among the videos, 357 were classified as Category A, representing the most depraved content, with others falling into Categories B and C. Similarly, the images ranged from highly explicit Category A to less severe categories. The images and videos depicted male and female children aged between five and sixteen, with some of the most disturbing content showing sadomasochistic abuse.

Depute fiscal John Malpass emphasized that the devices contained a significant amount of material, including 19 hours and 7 minutes of videos, with some files being accessible to Price. He also noted that Price had taken or permitted the creation of indecent photographs of children during the period from 2009 to 2017. When questioned by police, Price admitted to viewing and downloading these images, stating, “I have webcam videos of young girls. It’s not that serious,” and claimed his wife was unaware of his actions.

Throughout the investigation, officers found that Price had accumulated a large collection of child abuse material, including images of children as young as five. The devices contained a mixture of personal photographs, adult pornography, and child exploitation content. The police also discovered a photograph of Price himself among the illicit files, alongside numerous documents related to his jewellery business.

Following the raid, Price was taken to Perth Sheriff Court, where he faced charges of possessing and viewing indecent images of children. His legal representative, solicitor Mark Harrower, described him as a man who had caused immense pain to his family, stating, “He has hurt his wife beyond belief. His family are not speaking to him. He is a disgraced man in the community. He is deeply ashamed.”

Judge Gillian Wade emphasized the gravity of the case, highlighting that Price’s offending spanned over seven years and involved a deliberate campaign of viewing and downloading child abuse material. She remarked, “This was not a one-off incident. We are looking at a campaign of deliberate viewing over a very considerable period. You are a persistent offender who only recently got caught.” The judge also noted that Price’s limited insight and concern appeared to be primarily for how the situation affected his family, rather than remorse for his actions.

As the court concluded, Price was remanded on bail while awaiting sentencing scheduled for January 3, 2019. The court also ordered a community justice social work report and a Tay Project risk assessment to be prepared before final sentencing. Sheriff Wade made it clear that the seriousness of the crimes would be fully considered, and the duration of his inclusion on the sex offenders register would be determined at that time. She warned Price, “These are real children – and this is real abuse,” underscoring the gravity with which the court viewed his offenses.