IAIN MCINTYRE FROM INVERNESS ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE CHILD IMAGE OFFENSES

A man with a troubling history of child exploitation has narrowly avoided imprisonment after being found in possession of indecent images of minors in his Inverness home. Iain McIntyre, aged 52 and residing on Nelson Street in Inverness, was previously known to authorities for his extensive criminal record related to child pornography. His past convictions include two separate jail sentences for possessing large quantities of indecent images and videos of children, making his latest offense particularly concerning.

McIntyre’s latest conviction stems from a police search conducted at his residence, where officers uncovered 15 printed photographs depicting young girls in states of undress. These images involved girls aged between 14 and 15 years old. The police action was initiated after a warrant was obtained, leading to the discovery of these photographs stored on a shelf in his bedroom. The court was informed that McIntyre had previously resided in Tain’s Mansfield Estate before moving to Inverness.

He appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to face charges related to the possession of these images, to which he pleaded guilty on January 10 of the previous year. The court records reveal that McIntyre’s criminal history is extensive. In 2011, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found with over 170,000 images and nearly 1,000 videos of children, a collection that was considered the largest of its kind ever recovered in the Highlands at that time. His pattern of offending continued, and in 2020, he received another 18-month sentence for possessing 3,716 still images and 80 video fragments.

Most recently, in February 2024, McIntyre was removed from his position as a relief organist at Crown Church. The decision followed concerns raised by parents about his involvement with children. The Church of Scotland clarified that McIntyre had not been involved with children during nursery hours or in situations where he was alone with any minors, but the concerns nonetheless prompted his removal from the role.

During the court proceedings, McIntyre’s solicitor acknowledged that given his criminal history, he should have exercised better judgment. Instead of a custodial sentence, Sheriff Ian Cruickshank imposed a community-based penalty. McIntyre was sentenced to perform 200 hours of unpaid community work, participate in a sex offender rehabilitation program, and remain under social work supervision. Additionally, he was ordered to be placed on the sex offender register for three years, with the court emphasizing the importance of monitoring his conduct moving forward.