COLIN WHITE FROM DULNAIN BRIDGE ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD IMAGE SCANDAL IN DULNAIN BRIDGE

In a recent case heard at Inverness Sheriff Court, a 22-year-old man from Dulnain Bridge, identified as Colin White, faced serious allegations related to the possession of indecent images of children. The incident involved the discovery of a total of 162 such images stored on his personal computer, which led to a court appearance that drew significant attention due to the nature of the charges.

Colin White, residing on Skye of Curr Road in Dulnain Bridge, appeared before Sheriff David Sutherland to answer for the possession of these illicit images. The court proceedings revealed that White had admitted to possessing the images, which were found on his MacBook laptop. The images in question were downloaded over a period spanning from December 31, 2016, to December 22, 2017, at a residence in Carrbridge. The investigation uncovered that most of these images fell into the lowest category of obscenity, with only a few classified at higher levels of depravity. Specifically, one image was categorized at the most extreme level, while two others were considered to be in the middle category of severity.

During the hearing, the prosecution, represented by Fiscal depute David Morton, detailed the nature of the images and emphasized the seriousness of the charges. Despite the gravity of the case, the court was informed that White had no prior criminal record, and he expressed remorse for his actions. The social work report, along with an assessment from the sex offender’s rehabilitation programme team, indicated that White was unlikely to pose a future risk of similar offending.

In light of these factors, Sheriff David Sutherland chose to impose a community-based disposal rather than a custodial sentence. The judge stated, “Serious charges like this often attract prison sentences. Your lack of record, your remorse, the social work report and that of the sex offender’s rehabilitation programme team who say they have no concerns about any future problems of this nature, that allows me to impose a community based disposal.”

As part of the court’s decision, White was placed under supervision for a period of one year and was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid community service. Additionally, his laptop was confiscated as part of the investigation. The defence solicitor advocate, Mike Chapman, highlighted White’s remorse, stating, “My client exhibits shame and embarrassment about this and could be dealt with by a degree of leniency.”

Overall, the case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in addressing crimes involving child exploitation images, and the court’s decision reflects a nuanced approach balancing punishment with rehabilitation.