IAN CAIRNS FROM ASHTON JAILED FOR HORRIFIC CHILD AND ANIMAL ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Ashton, Ian Cairns, a 53-year-old man, has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in heinous crimes involving child exploitation and animal abuse. The investigation was initiated after police raided Cairns’s residence on Bryn Road South, Ashton, on July 7, 2014, seizing a variety of electronic devices, including computers, cameras, and recording equipment. Forensic analysis of these items uncovered a horrifying collection of indecent images and videos.

Among the most disturbing findings were approximately 300 indecent images depicting children aged between two and 15 being subjected to abuse and rape. These images were categorized across various levels of severity, illustrating the extent of Cairns’s engagement in child exploitation. Further examination of chat logs revealed that Cairns had engaged in online conversations with a 15-year-old girl, during which he falsely claimed to be 17 years old and asked her to lift her top, indicating predatory behavior. Martine Snowden, prosecuting in the case, detailed that these conversations were part of the evidence presented in court.

In addition to the images, police discovered extreme pornography on Cairns’s computer, including footage that was particularly disturbing. This footage showed a woman, who was later identified as the mother of a 15-year-old girl, performing sexual acts with a dog while simultaneously pleasuring Cairns. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of voyeurism and received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, last month.

Further investigations revealed that Cairns was in possession of 16 video clips featuring the same 15-year-old girl, who was the daughter of the woman involved in the animal abuse. These videos showed the girl naked in the shower and on the toilet, having been secretly filmed by her mother using a covert camera installed in their Merseyside home. The footage was sent to Cairns via Dropbox, as confirmed by Miss Snowden.

Prior to sentencing, Cairns had pleaded guilty to four charges of making indecent images of children and one charge of possessing extreme pornography. His sentence included a 12-month prison term, a 15-year sexual harm prevention order, and registration on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a decade. The case was adjourned to allow further sentencing proceedings, with the judge deciding that Cairns would be sentenced by the same judge who had previously sentenced the woman involved in the voyeurism case. Cairns remains on bail pending further court dates, highlighting the severity and complexity of this disturbing case involving both child exploitation and animal abuse in Ashton.