PAUL ROBERTSON FROM FORTH INVOLVED IN CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL IN LANARK

In April 2017, a disturbing case emerged involving Paul Robertson, a man from Forth, who was found to have been engaged in the illicit collection and viewing of child sexual abuse images over a period spanning nearly a decade. The details of his criminal activities were revealed during a court hearing at Lanark Sheriff Court, where it was disclosed that Robertson, aged 49 and now residing in Lanark, had been involved in this heinous conduct from November 2005 until his arrest in April 2015.

According to the court, Robertson’s criminal behavior was uncovered following a police raid on his then residence in Forth. The authorities had received information that a device registered to his home was used to download indecent images of children. Acting on this tip, police officers, including specialists from Scotland’s cybercrime unit, arrived at his property early in the morning at around 7 am. Although no one was present at the time, the front door was found to be unlocked, allowing the officers to conduct a search.

During the search, the officers discovered a hard drive and a Dell laptop in the living room, both containing a significant collection of indecent images of children. The police later interviewed Robertson, who admitted ownership of the devices. Further investigation revealed that Robertson was employed by BT, and he was contacted through his workplace during the inquiry. When questioned, Robertson confirmed that the hard drive and laptop belonged to him, and he was the sole user of the devices.

Depute fiscal Ziad Hassan explained that the cybercrime officers identified approximately 350 videos containing indecent images of children on the devices. The search history on the computer indicated that Robertson had actively searched for categories such as Lolitas and PTHC, which stands for pre-teen hard core. These search terms, along with file names suggestive of child abuse, included references to very young children, including a girl aged four and an eight-year-old, as well as infants. The police found a total of 377 still and moving images depicting child abuse, which painted a clear picture of Robertson’s disturbing interests.

Robertson’s criminal case was delayed for further reports, but the court was informed that he would be placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of five years. Additionally, he was sentenced to a three-year community payback order, which included 200 hours of unpaid work. The court also imposed a home curfew from 7 pm to 7 am for four months. The judge described Robertson’s actions as “utterly, utterly despicable,” condemning his attitude towards the children depicted in the images and emphasizing that those who seek out such depraved material are akin to child abusers themselves.

Earlier in March 2017, Robertson appeared in court again, this time on remand, after admitting to possessing child sexual abuse images. The court heard that some of the filenames on his devices indicated direct abuse of children. Robertson, who has three children himself, pleaded guilty to making or pseudo-photographs of children and possessing indecent images or pseudo-photos of children between November 2005 and April 2015. He also admitted to failing to appear at Lanark Sheriff Court on March 8 of the previous year, which led to a warrant for his arrest.

When he was brought before the court in February 2017, he was remanded in custody, and bail was refused. The court was informed that Robertson had no prior convictions. The police investigation confirmed that the devices used to download the images belonged to him, and the search revealed a disturbing collection of 377 images, including both still and moving pictures. The search history further revealed that Robertson had actively searched for categories associated with very young children, including infants and pre-teen material. The court was told that Robertson’s wife was unaware of his activities, as she had not accessed the computer and had no knowledge of the indecent images.

This case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the distribution and possession of child abuse images, and the serious consequences faced by those found guilty of such offenses. Robertson’s actions have been condemned by the court, and he now faces the repercussions of his disturbing and illegal behavior.