MATTHEW FAULDS FROM DALGUISE AND DUNDEE SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Dalguise and Dundee, Matthew Faulds, aged 24, was sentenced to four years in prison at Perth Sheriff Court for possessing and viewing highly disturbing child sexual abuse images and videos. The court heard that Faulds had downloaded and stored a significant amount of illicit material, including footage of children as young as four years old being subjected to sexual abuse.

During the sentencing, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis described the content as deeply disturbing, stating that one of the Level Five images he had viewed “turned his stomach.” Faulds was found to have almost six hours of horrific footage depicting children aged between four and fifteen, with over 75 percent classified as the most serious categories of abuse, Level 4 and 5. The images and videos were discovered after a roommate at the PGL Adventure Centre at Dalguise, near Dunkeld in Perthshire, borrowed Faulds’ laptop to watch a film. When the roommate connected the device to a main computer that displayed hidden files, the extent of Faulds’ disturbing collection was revealed.

Sheriff Foulis expressed his concern over the impact such images have on the victims, stating, “That child should be going to school, running around with her friends, doing things which a child of that age should be doing. Goodness alone knows what effect that has on the child – and goodness alone knows what she has ahead of her. It can only be described as a hellish experience.”

Faulds, who is from Dundee, was initially jailed for 12 months. Upon release, he will be subject to a three-year license period designed to protect the public from potential reoffending. Additionally, he will be required to participate in the Tay Project, a rehabilitation program for sex offenders, and his name has been added to the Sex Offenders’ Register. Restrictions will also be placed on his ability to work with children and have unsupervised contact with minors.

It was revealed that the illicit images were discovered while Faulds was employed as a team leader and activities instructor at Dalguise House, near Dunkeld. The discovery was made when his roommate borrowed his laptop to watch a film and uncovered the disturbing videos. The footage, which lasted over five and a half hours, depicted children aged between four and fifteen, with the majority at the highest levels of severity.

Following the investigation, Faulds lost his job. He admitted to police that he had downloaded the images from the internet for his own gratification. His solicitor highlighted that Faulds was a first-time offender and cooperated fully with authorities. The court was informed that Faulds had possessed the images between January 16 and August 9 of the previous year, both at Dalguise House and elsewhere.

In addition to his prison sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of Faulds’ laptop and a small external hard drive. The case underscores the serious nature of online child exploitation and the importance of strict legal measures to protect vulnerable victims from further harm.