MUSSELBURGH PRIMARY SCHOOL WORKER MARTIN GEDDES ESCAPES JAIL AFTER POSSESSING NEARLY 2,000 INDECENT IMAGES OF GIRLS

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community, Martin Geddes, a 38-year-old support assistant employed at Broughton Primary School in Edinburgh, was found to be in possession of an alarming number of indecent images depicting young girls. The images, which included nearly 2,000 photographs and videos, featured girls as young as eight years old, raising serious concerns about child exploitation and abuse.

Geddes, a resident of Musselburgh, appeared before Edinburgh Sheriff Court to face charges related to the possession of these illicit images. The court heard that he had been in possession of the material between September 28, 2014, and March 9, 2016. The case had been adjourned earlier for additional reports, which were presented during the hearing.

Prosecutor Gerard Drugan informed Sheriff Norman McFadyen that police, acting on information received, obtained a search warrant for Geddes’ residence. During the search, officers seized a laptop believed to contain the offending material. Geddes initially denied any knowledge of the indecent images, claiming he had not seen them and was not responsible for their presence on his device.

The evidence presented indicated that the images included two still photographs classified as Level A and B, and a total of 1,171 images categorized as Level C. Additionally, there were four videos at Level B and thirteen at Level C. The classification levels refer to the severity and nature of the content, with Level A being the most serious. The images depicted girls aged between eight and thirteen years old.

During the proceedings, the court was informed that the images exclusively featured young girls within this age range. The defense solicitor, Peter Winning, highlighted that Geddes had no previous convictions and that the social work report recommended alternatives to imprisonment. The report suggested that community-based sanctions could be more appropriate given the circumstances.

In delivering his judgment, Sheriff McFadyen acknowledged the seriousness of the case but also considered the recommendations from social services. After careful deliberation, he decided that a custodial sentence was not necessary. Instead, he imposed a Community Payback Order with strict conditions, including supervision for three years, mandatory attendance at the 'Moving Forward Making Changes' program, and the requirement to complete 240 hours of unpaid work within a year.

As part of the court’s ruling, Geddes’ laptop was confiscated, and he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of three years. The case has sent a stark warning about the dangers of online child exploitation, especially involving individuals in positions of trust within educational settings.