RYAN SIMPSON'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN MORAY AND NORTHAMPTON REVEALED

In a series of disturbing incidents spanning Moray and Northampton, Ryan Simpson, a man with a long history of sexual offenses involving children, has once again come under scrutiny for his heinous actions. Simpson, aged 31, has a criminal record that includes previous convictions for filming himself abusing a baby, which resulted in a 16-month prison sentence. Despite the severity of his past crimes, he has managed to avoid immediate imprisonment on subsequent charges, though the court has expressed serious concerns about his ongoing risk to the public.

In July 2018, Simpson appeared before Elgin Sheriff Court to face charges related to the possession and distribution of indecent images and videos of children. The case was particularly grave because Simpson was found with a collection of such material on his mobile phone, including a video of a baby. The authorities discovered that the images and videos had been created between October 2015 and August 2016. Simpson was also found to have shared a video depicting a naked baby via WhatsApp on August 3 of the previous year. The court was told that Simpson had previously served a prison sentence for filming himself sexually assaulting a crying baby and sending the footage to his boyfriend, boasting that he would have gone further if not for fear of being caught.

During the hearing, Sheriff George Aitken acknowledged the gravity of the case, noting that while there was a significant temptation to imprison Simpson to protect the public, he could not simply lock him away indefinitely. Simpson’s arrest was triggered when he attended his local police station in Moray to report a change of address. During the process, officers used the terms of his sex offender registration to seize and examine his mobile device, uncovering the disturbing images and videos. The police also found that Simpson had shared a video of a naked baby, created between October 2015 and August 2016, which added to the evidence against him.

As a result, Simpson was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and placed under a supervision order for three years. The court emphasized the seriousness of his offenses, which included possessing a significant number of Category A images—those deemed most serious—along with numerous other images and videos of varying severity. The judge highlighted that had Simpson reoffended after his release, prison would have been the only appropriate response.

Simpson’s criminal history is extensive. In March 2017, he was jailed for 16 months after admitting to filming himself sexually assaulting a crying baby and sharing the footage with his partner, Scott Ayres, in Northampton. During that case, police discovered the video on devices seized from Simpson’s then-partner’s home in Inverness, including a Samsung tablet. The footage showed Simpson engaging in sexual acts with the infant, who was visibly distressed and crying. Simpson also sent messages to his partner at the time, asking for his email to send the video and expressing that he would have done more if not for the risk of being caught.

Further investigations revealed that Simpson possessed additional indecent images of children, including videos of children being sexually abused. These materials were shared within social media chat groups, indicating a pattern of ongoing offending behavior. His long-standing relationship with Scott Ayres was also scrutinized, with police charging Ayres with aiding and abetting Simpson’s crimes, including the sexual touching of a child under 13.

Throughout these proceedings, Simpson’s defense argued that he was devastated by his actions and that his difficult upbringing, including foster care at an early age, contributed to his behavior. His legal representatives claimed that Simpson was pressured into his offenses by his former partner and that he had since ended the relationship. Despite these arguments, the court, led by Lord Woolman, emphasized that Simpson was fully responsible for his actions and that only a custodial sentence could serve the purposes of punishment, deterrence, and public safety.

As of the latest court appearance, Simpson remains on remand at Porterfield Prison in Inverness, awaiting further psychological assessments before sentencing. The court has expressed concern about the ongoing risk he poses to children and the community at large, and a future sentencing date has been scheduled for February 2, when additional reports are expected to inform the final decision.