KARL PADDON FROM RAVENSCRAIG CAUGHT IN LEVEN WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND SPY CAM IN JACUZZI

In June 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Karl Paddon, a man with a notable background in archery, who is now facing serious criminal charges related to child exploitation and voyeurism. Paddon, aged 58 and known for setting Scottish records in American and American Double archery target-shooting in July 2013, has been accused of installing covert surveillance equipment at his residence in Leven, Fife, with the intent to secretly record young women.

According to court proceedings, Paddon installed a camera, typically used for monitoring his dogs, inside his seafront bungalow on the Promenade in Leven. The purpose of this device was to observe the women, aged 25 and 26, while they used his jacuzzi. It was alleged that Paddon knew these women would be using the jacuzzi when he was absent from the property. The footage, recorded in April 2018, captured the women in swimwear and what was described as “swimming underwear.”

Police raided Paddon's semi-detached home following intelligence that his IP address had been linked to the download of child abuse images. During the search, officers discovered the jacuzzi footage along with a significant collection of illicit material. On his phone, they found images of the women in swimwear, as well as over 1,000 pornographic pictures of children, including 124 classified as the most serious category of abuse. These materials were stored on Paddon’s laptop and iPad.

During a five-day trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court, one of the women who had been filmed in her swimwear became visibly distressed when shown one of the images recorded by Paddon. Her emotional reaction underscored the traumatic impact of the invasion of her privacy. Prosecutor Michael Maguire stated that Paddon had deliberately set up the spy camera to film the women “for some kind of sick kick.”

The jury, consisting of members from the remote location of Ravenscraig, returned a majority verdict of guilty on two counts of voyeurism. They also unanimously found Paddon guilty of possessing and downloading child abuse images. The presiding sheriff advised the jury to set aside any feelings of revulsion they might have and focus solely on the evidence presented.

Paddon maintained his innocence, claiming that others had access to his password-protected devices and that he was unaware of any illegal material on his electronics. However, forensic analysis contradicted his claims, revealing that on the same day as some of the child abuse images were downloaded, an archery picture of Paddon was also accessed on his laptop. This suggested that he had control over the device at that time.

The police raid took place on October 31st, 2019. Investigations uncovered that some of the illicit images dated back to November 2015, when Paddon was residing in Thurso, Caithness, and had initially purchased the laptop. The search history of the device included websites with titles such as “Lolitas,” “Paedo Porno Exclusives,” and “Only Small Baby,” further implicating Paddon in the possession of illegal material.

At the conclusion of the trial, Paddon bowed his head as the verdicts were read. An accompanying woman was seen crying openly on the public benches. Sheriff William Gilchrist deferred sentencing until July 7th to allow for reports and continued bail arrangements. He also instructed Paddon to attend an interview with a social worker, emphasizing the seriousness of the charges and the need for further assessment.