GRAHAM MCDRADE CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES AT ROSNEATH CARAVAN PARK AND OLD KILPATRICK

In August 2022, authorities uncovered disturbing evidence linking Graham McDade to the possession of numerous indecent images of children, with the investigation centering around his former residence in Old Kilpatrick. The case took a significant turn when police revealed that McDade was found with a total of 35 illicit images stored across multiple devices, all of which depicted child exploitation.

According to reports presented at Dumbarton Sheriff Court, the police received intelligence indicating that these illegal images had been accessed from McDade’s property. This information prompted a search warrant to be executed on August 8 of the previous year, at which point the 53-year-old suspect was found alone in his residence. The search was conducted at his former flat located on Freelands Road, a location that had previously served as his home.

During the search, law enforcement officers seized several items for forensic analysis, including a laptop situated in the living room and two USB memory sticks discovered in the bedroom. The examination of these devices revealed disturbing content: one USB stick contained three images classified as Category C, which are considered among the lowest levels of child exploitation images, featuring children estimated to be around five years old. The second USB stick, however, did not contain any images of children. The laptop itself was found to hold a more alarming collection, including three images categorized as the most severe Category A, depicting explicit child abuse, along with 25 images in Category B and four additional images in Category C. The forensic experts confirmed that the children depicted in these images ranged in age from five to thirteen years old.

At a subsequent hearing on August 2, McDade, who was then residing at Rosneath Caravan Park, pleaded guilty to charges of taking or permitting the taking of photographs or pseudo-photos of children. He also admitted to possessing images or pseudo-photos of children on the same dates. The court was informed that McDade had no prior criminal convictions, which led Sheriff Maxwell Hendry to order the preparation of social work reports and a restriction assessment to evaluate his suitability for a restriction of liberty order.

During the proceedings, Sheriff Hendry emphasized the seriousness of the charges, stating, “You pleaded guilty to very serious charges. You don’t have a record of criminal offending. All that means effectively is that the court has to think about everything conceivable sentencing option.” The judge deferred sentencing until later in the month, allowing time for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be completed. Meanwhile, McDade was placed on the sex offenders register, and his bail was continued pending further proceedings to determine his ultimate sentence.