JOSEPH MCCABE FROM BRIDGE OF EARN JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN PERTHSHIRE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Joseph McCabe, a 52-year-old man from Bridge of Earn, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after being found in possession of a significant collection of child pornography. The incident came to light during a routine investigation, revealing that McCabe, who was employed as an IT consultant for the Metropolitan Police Service at the time of his arrest, had accumulated a vast amount of illicit material at his former residence in Bridge of Earn, Perthshire.

McCabe admitted to possessing 33 films and over 13,000 images depicting child sexual abuse. The police force confirmed that he was dismissed from his position once the images were discovered. The court heard that McCabe had engaged in a pattern of downloading these materials over an extended period, specifically between March 10, 2008, and April 15, 2010, at his family home.

During the proceedings at Perth Sheriff Court, McCabe’s solicitor, John Boyle, explained that his client had engaged in what he described as a 'binge download' of child pornography, which he did to view the content at his leisure. Boyle suggested that McCabe had fallen into a downward spiral, initially interested in adult pornography before his interests shifted to more disturbing material. He claimed that McCabe admitted to being interested in images of young girls posing naked but also stated that some of the images he received were 'disgusting.'

Despite these claims, Sheriff Michael Fletcher pointed out that more than 200 of the images and video clips found on McCabe’s devices were at the most extreme end of the scale of child exploitation material. The sheriff emphasized that the severity of the content left him with no choice but to impose a custodial sentence. The court noted that McCabe, a married father of two, had been actively downloading these illicit materials throughout his employment with the Metropolitan Police’s human resources department.

Further investigations revealed that McCabe had previously worked as an education officer for Perth and Kinross Council and Highland Council, roles that would have given him access to the personal details of thousands of children in both regions. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed that McCabe was an external contractor, employed briefly for two months in the human resources department, and that he no longer works for the force.

In addition to his prison sentence, McCabe has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of ten years, reflecting the serious nature of his offenses and the potential risk posed to the community. The case has raised concerns about the security and oversight of individuals with access to sensitive information and the importance of vigilance in safeguarding children from exploitation.