JOHN MACLEOD OF ISLE OF LEWIS SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In December 2018, authorities revealed that a resident of the Isle of Lewis, John Macleod, aged 44 and residing in Lower Bayble, Point, was found to be in possession of a significant number of indecent images of young children. The case came to light after police investigations uncovered disturbing evidence stored on his electronic devices, leading to his subsequent placement on the sex offenders’ register.

Initially, law enforcement officers conducted a search of Macleod’s residence last year, but they reported that nothing incriminating was discovered during that initial inspection. However, the situation changed when Macleod provided information to the police regarding the location of his electronic devices, prompting a second search warrant to be issued. This subsequent search took place in June of the previous year, during which a Samsung laptop and two mobile phones were seized for further examination.

Forensic analysis of the seized devices revealed a deeply troubling collection of images. The laptop contained a total of 676 category C indecent images depicting children. These images primarily featured young females, some fully clothed and others partially dressed, captured in various poses that focused on their private parts. The images included multiple sets of photographs featuring the same young females, with some of the children estimated to be as young as eight years old. The images had been deleted from the device at some point prior to its seizure, but forensic experts were able to recover them from the hard disk, highlighting the extent of the digital evidence against Macleod.

During the court proceedings at Stornoway Sheriff Court, Procurator Fiscal Karen Smith detailed the findings to the judge. She emphasized the disturbing nature of the images and the fact that they had been deliberately deleted, yet recovered through forensic methods. The case was adjourned for the preparation of background reports, and Sheriff David Sutherland deferred sentencing to a later date. In the meantime, he ordered that John Macleod be placed on the sex offenders’ register, effective immediately, as part of the court’s measures to monitor and manage his potential risk to the community.