GEORGE CAMPBELL BANCHORY CHILD INDECENT IMAGES CASE - NO PRISON BUT COMMUNITY ORDER

A 77-year-old man from Banchory, George Campbell, has been spared a prison sentence after being found guilty of possessing over 2,000 indecent images of children. The conviction was delivered by a jury at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month, following a detailed trial that uncovered disturbing evidence of his online activity.

Campbell was accused of downloading thousands of illicit images onto his home computer, which he claimed was solely used for watching news and sporting events. Despite his assertions, police investigations revealed a different story. When officers executed a search warrant at his residence in Banchory, they seized a computer tower that was later examined by cybercrime specialists. The analysis confirmed that the device contained a significant number of indecent images of children.

During the trial, Campbell, who chose to represent himself, was shown to have downloaded these images over a period spanning from July 24, 2020, to December 12, 2021. A detective who testified explained that during the police raid, all household devices were checked, and one item tested positive for indecent content. Campbell admitted that the computer tower belonged to him, but he denied any knowledge of the images found. When cautioned and charged, he responded dismissively, stating, “It wasn’t me. I don’t know what you’re on about – I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Prosecutors presented evidence indicating that Campbell had downloaded approximately 2,135 images of children, a claim he repeatedly denied. The images ranged in severity, with 244 classified as Category A, indicating the most serious content. An additional 161 images fell into Category B, while the remaining 1,730 were categorized as Category C.

Following the jury’s unanimous verdict of guilt, Campbell appeared before Sheriff Ian Wallace for sentencing. Despite the conviction, Campbell maintained his innocence and expressed a desire to avoid incarceration. He explained that he was involved in caring duties for his wife and believed that a custodial sentence would be inappropriate for his circumstances. He also stated that he had no previous convictions and concluded his statement with, “I have nothing more to say,” adding, “Only that I do not want to be incarcerated.”

In response, Sheriff Wallace noted that a background report recommended participation in programs aimed at preventing future offending. The sheriff expressed confidence that an alternative to prison could be imposed. As a result, Campbell was sentenced to a community payback order with two years of supervision, along with a requirement to complete 280 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders register for two years and ordered to participate in a sex offenders program. Sheriff Wallace emphasized that these measures were intended to address Campbell’s offending behavior and help prevent recurrence of such crimes.