COLIN DINGLE FROM BELLSHILL AND KIRKMUIRHILL CAUGHT WITH NEARLY 70,000 CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES IN LANARKSHIRE

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the Lanarkshire community, Colin Dingle, a resident of Bellshill and Kirkmuirhill, was apprehended after police uncovered an extensive collection of child sexual abuse material during a raid on his home. The investigation revealed that Dingle possessed nearly 70,000 indecent images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, a discovery that has raised serious concerns about online safety and child protection.

On October 7, 2020, law enforcement officers, armed with a search warrant, arrived at Dingle's residence located in Craignethan View, Kirkmuirhill. The officers questioned Dingle about their presence, to which he responded with a nod, indicating awareness of the investigation. During the search, six electronic devices were seized from the premises. A preliminary examination of these devices revealed that five of them contained indecent images of children, some of the most serious in the classification system, categorized as Category A.

Following the seizure, Dingle was taken to Motherwell police station. He was subsequently charged but chose not to respond to questions during the police interview. It was only after a lengthy investigation that a comprehensive cybercrime report was compiled, which took nearly a year to complete due to the sheer volume of files involved. The report confirmed the presence of approximately 68,000 images, alongside 1,500 videos, some of which depicted children being sexually abused in videos lasting an hour or more.

The gravity of the case prompted the court to defer sentencing until next month, allowing time for a criminal justice social work report, an electronic tagging assessment, and a risk evaluation to be prepared. Dingle, who is now residing on Alderston Place in Bellshill, was granted bail but remains on the sex offenders' register. The court also considered a prosecution request to impose a sexual offences prevention order to restrict his activities further.

In addition, the sheriff ordered the destruction of the five devices that contained the indecent material, emphasizing the severity of the offense and the need to prevent any further dissemination of such harmful content. The case continues to develop as authorities seek to ensure justice and protect vulnerable children from exploitation.