RYAN JOHNSTON'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN AYR: SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND SURVEILLANCE CASES

In April 2018, a disturbing case involving Ryan Johnston, a resident of Ayr, has come to light, revealing a series of heinous crimes centered around the exploitation and invasion of privacy of young girls. Johnston, who resides on Sycamore Crescent in Ayr, was found in possession of an extensive collection of indecent images and videos, some of which depicted a teenage girl in vulnerable situations. His actions have caused widespread outrage and concern within the community.

The court proceedings revealed that Johnston, aged 37, had engaged in highly inappropriate and illegal activities, including secretly filming a teenage girl while she was in the shower and taking explicit photographs of her in various states of undress. The girl, who was only 15 at the time, had unknowingly become the target of Johnston’s voyeuristic behavior when he placed a recording device on the bathroom floor to capture her in the act of showering. This act of invasion was discovered after the girl noticed a mobile phone being held through the ajar bathroom door, which she had left slightly open to allow her cat to exit.

Following this discovery, police officers swiftly arrested Johnston and seized multiple electronic devices, including computers, laptops, and mobile phones. An extensive investigation uncovered hundreds of indecent images and videos stored across these devices. Among the most disturbing findings were photographs of the girl when she was only nine years old, as well as images of her naked in the shower, on the toilet, and getting out of the bath. In total, investigators found over 200 images on a Hewlett-Packard tower, 30 photographs on a laptop, and additional copies on other devices, including a pen drive containing a picture of her in a bath. Furthermore, investigators uncovered 59 images of a woman sleeping with her breasts exposed, stored on a tablet.

During the court hearing, Johnston admitted to possessing indecent images of children spanning from December 3, 2009, to April 21, 2016. He also pleaded guilty to filming the teenage girl naked in the shower on March 27, 2016, and attempting to record her again on April 21, 2016. Additionally, Johnston confessed to another charge involving the non-consensual recording of a woman sleeping with her breasts exposed, which occurred between November 25, 2014, and April 21, 2016.

The court, led by Sheriff Carole Cunninghame, chose to impose a community payback order rather than a custodial sentence, citing concerns about addressing the root causes of Johnston’s behavior. The order requires him to complete 300 hours of unpaid community work within 12 months and to adhere to a strict curfew, remaining at his home address from 8 pm to 8 am for eight months. The sheriff emphasized the severity of the misconduct, noting that Johnston’s actions shattered the sense of safety that individuals are entitled to within their own homes.

Solicitor Ian Gillies acknowledged the profound impact of Johnston’s actions on the victims and stated that Johnston fully accepted the seriousness of his crimes. The court also ordered Johnston to be added to the sex offenders register and scheduled a review in two months to ensure he is complying fully with the terms of his community order. The case highlights the ongoing issues of child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting vulnerable individuals from such predatory behavior.