LIAM MACKAY DINGWALL SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ABUSE IMAGES

In January 2021, a man from Dingwall named Liam Mackay, aged 31, was sentenced to serve a total of 22 months in prison after being found guilty of possessing thousands of indecent images and videos depicting children. The case highlights the ongoing issue of digital abuse and the misconception that computers serve as safe hiding places for offenders. Police authorities reacted strongly to the sentencing, emphasizing that such crimes are taken very seriously, especially given the nature of the material involved.

On May 7, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Mackay’s residence on Deas Avenue in Dingwall. The operation was prompted by intelligence suggesting that Mackay’s electronic devices had accessed websites hosting child sexual abuse images. During the raid, officers discovered a USB stick concealed within the hollow leg of Mackay’s bed frame. A preliminary examination of the device revealed disturbing content, including images of children aged between two and 12 being subjected to abuse.

Further forensic analysis confirmed the presence of a staggering number of illicit images and videos. In total, 2,180 still images and 315 videos were recovered from the device. These materials were categorized into three levels of obscenity, with the highest ranking, ‘A’, comprising 308 images and 171 videos. The second category, ‘B’, contained 511 images and 107 videos, while the third, ‘C’, included 1,361 photographs and 37 videos. The content was created between March and December 2019, indicating a period of ongoing activity.

It was revealed that Mackay, who was already a registered sex offender and subject to a community payback order, had admitted to downloading these indecent materials. His total playtime for the videos was calculated to be over one day, six hours, and three minutes. During the court proceedings, Mackay’s defense solicitor, Pauline Gibson, requested that bail be continued until a background report could be obtained, a plea that was granted by Sheriff Margaret Neilson. However, the sheriff warned Mackay not to interpret her decision as a sign of leniency regarding his eventual sentencing. As mandated by law, Mackay was again placed on the Sex Offenders Register, and he is scheduled to reappear in court on January 28.

Prior to this, Mackay’s criminal history includes a March 2018 case where he was accused of possessing and downloading thousands of indecent images. In that instance, a young woman, who was a victim of Mackay’s earlier abuse, saw a Facebook post about his sentencing and was overwhelmed with emotion. She ran out of the room in tears and later confided in her aunt that Mackay had sexually abused her when she was 14. Her testimony led to the discovery of another girl with whom Mackay had engaged in sexual activity in 2012.

In the 2018 case, Mackay, then 29, was sentenced to 260 hours of unpaid community work, placed under supervision for three years, and registered as a sex offender for the same period. He had previously admitted to having sexual contact with underage girls between December 2010 and December 2012. The court had deferred sentencing to allow for a background report, with Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood noting that he was considering a jail sentence due to Mackay’s “deviant sexual practices.”

Further back, in November 2016, Mackay, aged 27, was warned he faced potential imprisonment if he failed to meet court-imposed conditions after admitting to downloading 8,816 indecent images and 54 videos of children from his home in Deas Avenue between December 2013 and September 2014. Police had traced the downloads to his IP address, leading to a search warrant. During questioning, Mackay claimed he was unaware of possessing any indecent images, suggesting that files might have been downloaded via peer-to-peer sharing without his knowledge.

Throughout these proceedings, the court expressed concern over Mackay’s apparent lack of responsibility and the deep-seated nature of his deviant tendencies. Sheriff Fleetwood emphasized that the seriousness of the crimes warranted a custodial sentence but ultimately opted for a community payback order, with strict conditions including 300 hours of unpaid work, supervision for three years, and participation in a sex offender rehabilitation program. Mackay was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register, underscoring the gravity of his offenses and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.