SAMUEL ATKINS FROM LEUCHARS CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS IN FIFE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Leuchars, police uncovered a vast collection of child abuse material on the devices of Samuel Atkins, a 53-year-old resident of the area. The investigation was initiated following a police raid on his home, which he shares with his wife, revealing a horrifying cache of thousands of files and videos depicting the abuse of children as young as one year old.

During the search, law enforcement officials seized Atkins' laptop and external hard drive, both of which contained an alarming number of indecent images and videos. The material uncovered included graphic content showing children being abused and restrained by adults, with some files classified at the most severe level of depravity. The police found a total of 1,705 files related to child sexual exploitation and abuse on the devices.

Specifically, authorities discovered 162 images and eight videos at the highest level of severity, indicating the most extreme forms of abuse. The majority of the files, however, were categorized at the lower, Category C level, which still represents serious criminal material. The videos alone had a combined duration of over three hours, highlighting the extent of the offender’s collection.

Further examination of a hard drive revealed an additional 422 files depicting child abuse, predominantly at the Category C level. Among these, 56 images were classified as Category A, which is considered the most severe, including four videos. These videos, along with two others classified at Category B, had a total runtime of just over an hour, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the content.

Samuel Atkins appeared in Dundee Sheriff Court, where he pleaded guilty to charges of downloading and possessing indecent images of children spanning from September 2020 to August 2024. The court was informed of the extensive nature of the material found on his devices and the serious implications of his actions.

Sentencing was deferred until next month to allow for a social work report to be prepared, which will likely influence the final judgment. Meanwhile, Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith continued Atkins’ bail and ordered that he be placed on the sex offenders register, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities during the legal process.