SHAUN DAWSON FROM KILWINNING CAUGHT WITH NEARLY HALF A MILLION CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES IN SHOCKING CASE

In September 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving Shaun Dawson, a computer expert and father from Kilwinning, Ayrshire, who was found in possession of an alarming quantity of child sexual abuse material. Authorities conducted a raid on Dawson’s residence, uncovering nearly 433,000 images and approximately 2,100 videos depicting children as young as two years old engaged in sexual acts. The material was stored across multiple devices, including computers and external hard drives, and included footage of the most heinous forms of abuse, such as bestiality, which highlighted the severity of the content.

During the investigation, police described the extent of the material found, emphasizing the depravity involved. The court heard that thousands of the images and videos were classified at the worst levels of depravity, underscoring the gravity of Dawson’s possession of such material. In a police interview, a detective confronted Dawson with a clip from the material, asking for his thoughts. Dawson responded simply, “It’s disgusting,” revealing a recognition of the disturbing nature of the content.

Dawson, who was 48 years old at the time, maintained that he was “obsessive about security” and claimed to take precautions such as bringing his laptop into the bathroom to perform banking activities, possibly to avoid detection. Despite his assertions, he denied downloading or possessing the images and videos between January 2010 and September 2016. However, the jury unanimously found him guilty after deliberation.

Further forensic analysis by police experts uncovered additional evidence linking Dawson to the crimes. They discovered CVs bearing his name and evidence of files that had been deleted, suggesting attempts to conceal the material. Following the verdict, Dawson was remanded in custody pending sentencing, with background reports to be considered. As part of the legal process, he was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register, marking a significant step in addressing the severity of his crimes.