LIAM MACKAY FROM DINGWALL ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES IN HIGHLAND

In March 2018, a disturbing case involving Liam Mackay, a resident of Dingwall, came to light in the Highland region, revealing a troubling pattern of child exploitation and possession of indecent images. Mackay, aged 28 at the time, was unmasked as a sexual predator when one of his victims recognized him during a court appearance and saw the proceedings online. This recognition prompted a series of revelations that exposed the extent of his criminal behavior.

The victim, a young woman now, was shown a Facebook post detailing Mackay’s sentencing for possessing and downloading thousands of indecent images of children. Overwhelmed by the news, she ran out of the room in tears, feeling sick and distressed. Later, she confided in her aunt that Mackay had sexually abused her when she was just 14 years old. Her confession was taken seriously by authorities and led to further investigations, which uncovered that Mackay had engaged in sexual activity with another girl in 2012.

At Inverness Sheriff Court, Mackay faced sentencing for these grave offenses. The court heard that he resided on Deas Avenue in Dingwall. The judge sentenced him to 260 hours of unpaid community work, placed him under supervision for three years, and mandated that he register as a sex offender for the same period. These measures followed Mackay’s admission last month to having engaged in sexual activity with underage girls between December 2010 and December 2012, as well as possessing indecent images.

Prior to this, in 2016, Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood had previously sentenced Mackay for similar offenses, indicating a pattern of deviant behavior. During the recent hearing, the court was informed that Mackay had become addicted to child pornography after accidentally accessing it. His defense solicitor advocate, Mike Chapman, emphasized that Mackay was making efforts to change, highlighting that he was working well under a community payback order and had shown remorse. Chapman pointed out that Mackay had not committed any further offenses and was a different person compared to his early 20s.

Prosecutor Roderick Urquhart added that Mackay was employed at a supermarket and had cultivated friendships with young girls outside the store, raising concerns about his interactions with minors. The case also referenced a previous incident in November 2016, where Mackay was warned he could face years in prison if he failed to meet court-imposed obligations for downloading child abuse images and videos.

In that earlier case, Mackay, aged 27, was ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and was placed under three years of supervision by Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood. The court had found that a total of 8,816 indecent images and 54 videos of children were recovered from his laptop. Police investigations revealed that Mackay had used his home’s IP address to download the material, which included folders labeled “child models 2” and “pre-teen.” Mackay initially claimed ignorance, suggesting that files might have been downloaded via uTorrent without his knowledge, and admitted he lacked virus protection at the time.

Chapman argued that Mackay had accepted responsibility and that the impact on victims and his family was significant. She presented a reference from a minister and noted that reports recommended Mackay as suitable for a community-based sex offenders program. However, Sheriff Fleetwood expressed skepticism about Mackay’s remorse, criticizing his denial of the severity of his actions and questioning his acceptance of responsibility. The sheriff emphasized that Mackay’s behavior indicated deep-seated deviant tendencies that might benefit from treatment.

Despite these concerns, the sheriff decided against immediate imprisonment, opting instead for a community payback order. Mackay was ordered to undertake 300 hours of unpaid work, be placed on the sex offenders register, and remain under supervision for three years, with conditions including participation in a rehabilitation program. The sheriff warned Mackay that failure to comply would result in a prison sentence, underscoring the seriousness of his offenses and the importance of ongoing monitoring.