MATTHEW SCOTTHORNE

A manager at an Angus pizza shop was found to be criminally involved in sharing and storing disturbing child abuse material through a fake calculator app on his mobile device.

Matthew Scotthorne faced severe criticism from a Dundee sheriff for concealing more than 1,000 images and videos depicting child abuse.

Authorities discovered the vile content using cyber crime techniques, mainly from an encrypted Telegram account accessed via the disguised calculator application on his phone.

The files included graphic captions such as "Child porn really is awesome." The investigation revealed that Scotthorne engaged in numerous conversations with other offenders on Telegram, where he also distributed the illicit material he had downloaded.

Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith condemned Scotthorne’s conduct, emphasizing that he had engaged in sophisticated criminal activity, attempting to hide his actions through technical means, which were ultimately uncovered by experienced cyber crime officers.

Scotthorne, from Arbroath, admitted to charges of downloading and sharing indecent images of children between August 2023 and January 2025.

During the court hearing, it was explained how the first-time offender was working as a Domino’s Pizza manager at the time of his arrest.

Authorities linked his IP address to the storage of the illicit material, leading to a targeted raid on his home.

Devices including a Google phone and an Asus laptop were confiscated, and Scotthorne refused to speak to police during questioning.

The searches uncovered images accompanied by obscene text, revealing sources from platforms like Telegram, X, Snapchat, and screenshots stored in specific file pathways.

It was detailed that the suspicious app on his device was a disguised calculator application, designed to covertly hide and encrypt the illegal files.

On Telegram, Scotthorne openly discussed having child pornography, referring to it as "real stuff" and mentioning a previous relapse after talking about his secret folder filled with such material.

He also described a distressing video of a child crying, which he claimed left him "scarred." In total, authorities identified 1,120 files, many classified as Category A, including lengthy videos close to two hours.

It was noted that Scotthorne had suffered from suicidal thoughts and self-harm issues before his arrest.

He has been placed on the sex offenders register, with sentencing scheduled for April after a social work report is completed.

His bail was extended with some hesitation by Sheriff Niven-Smith, pending further court proceedings.