FRASER HEGGIE CAMBUSLANG PAEDOPHILE JAILED OVER CHILD SEXUAL IMAGES

In June 2020, Fraser Heggie, a 26-year-old man from Cambuslang, was sentenced to 22 months in prison after being convicted of possessing and distributing indecent images of children. The case revealed a disturbing pattern of offending that began with the discovery of a substantial collection of illicit material stored on his iPhone, which initially contained 896 images. These images included extremely disturbing content such as photographs of a nine-month-old baby and footage of an 18-month-old child, with some videos lasting over five minutes, depicting the children in sexually explicit situations.

Heggie was first apprehended in February 2019, when authorities uncovered the large cache of indecent images on his device. Despite being granted bail at that time, he failed to disclose to police that he had purchased a tablet during the bail period. Subsequently, he re-downloaded additional images from an online cloud account, further complicating his case. This act of non-disclosure was considered a breach of bail conditions and demonstrated a continued pattern of offending.

During the court proceedings at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Sheriff Paul Crozier described Heggie’s actions as “quite frankly horrific.” The sheriff highlighted the severity of the images, including a category A image that lasted over five minutes, which he described as particularly disturbing. Sheriff Crozier emphasized that Heggie had the opportunity to disclose the full extent of his offending but chose not to, which influenced the court’s decision to impose a custodial sentence. The sheriff also ordered Heggie to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of ten years.

Heggie’s continued offending was evidenced by his failure to notify police after acquiring a tablet, which contained 213 still and moving images of young children. Prosecutor Mark Allan detailed the horrific nature of the content, including a video of an 18-month-old boy screaming for over five minutes. The youngest victim depicted in the images was a nine-month-old baby boy. Mr. Allan stated that these images were created solely for Heggie’s sexual gratification, underscoring the depravity of his actions.

In April 2020, Heggie voluntarily handed himself into police authorities, admitting to his addiction and acknowledging that he would likely re-offend. His actions had caused significant concern, and the court was informed that he had been banned from possessing electronic devices that could access the internet during his bail period. Despite these restrictions, he continued to download and store illegal images, demonstrating a persistent pattern of offending.

Heggie pled guilty to the charges of possession and distribution of indecent images of children. The court decided to remand him until the sentencing hearing scheduled for the following month, pending the preparation of background reports to inform the final sentencing decision. The case underscores the ongoing threat posed by individuals involved in the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse images, and the serious legal consequences they face upon conviction.