NAIRN MAN ROSS NICHOLSON SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING NEARLY 300 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In December 2019, a man from Nairn named Ross Nicholson was handed a community payback order after being found in possession of nearly 300 indecent photographs and videos depicting children as young as eight years old. The case drew significant attention due to the serious nature of the offenses and the impact on the victims involved.

Ross Nicholson, aged 22 at the time, had previously admitted to Inverness Sheriff Court that he possessed these illicit images and videos between May 2018 and January of the same year. The court heard that the police had acted on intelligence received on January 18, which indicated that indecent images of children had been uploaded to an online chat platform. The investigation traced the upload to a router located on Blairfield Road in Nairn, which was linked to Nicholson’s residence.

Following this lead, authorities obtained a search warrant for Nicholson’s home. The police executed the raid on January 31, and during the search, Nicholson was present. Upon arrival, he told officers, “It’s the computer that you’re looking for,” and later added, “I wasn’t looking for it but I saw it. There’s nothing on it now as I don’t use it.” Despite his claims, the police found substantial evidence of his involvement in the distribution and possession of illegal material.

Further investigation revealed that Nicholson had used a chat room website where the illicit content was uploaded. The material included 176 images and 121 videos, some of which depicted disturbing scenes, including a video of a woman engaged in a sexual act with an animal. When questioned, Nicholson denied deriving any sexual gratification from the images and videos, but the evidence was overwhelming.

During the court proceedings, the prosecution highlighted the severity of the offense, emphasizing that such material fuels a market that perpetuates the abuse of children. The defense solicitor, Marc Dickson, stated that Nicholson had suffered personal consequences, including losing his job and his relationship, as a result of his actions. He also noted that Nicholson was aware that his behavior was inappropriate.

In sentencing, Sheriff Sara Matheson considered a background report before deciding on a community-based punishment. Nicholson was placed on a sex offender’s register for 30 months and ordered to participate in a sex offender’s program, with a supervision period of the same length. The sheriff’s comments underscored the broader implications of such offenses, warning that individuals like Nicholson contribute to a harmful cycle of exploitation and abuse.