ELGIN MAN STEPHEN MONCRIEFF SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN MORAY

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Elgin, Moray, Stephen Moncrieff, a 60-year-old resident, has been found guilty of possessing an alarming quantity of indecent images of children. The investigation, which unfolded in June of the previous year, revealed that Moncrieff was involved in the possession of over 250,000 illicit images and videos depicting minors, a revelation that has sent ripples through the local area and beyond.

Police officers, working on a cyber crime investigation, traced the IP address associated with Moncrieff’s internet activity, which led them directly to his residence on South Street in Elgin. Upon executing a search warrant, authorities uncovered a significant collection of electronic devices that had been used to access and store these illegal materials. The search yielded three laptops and nine hidden memory sticks, all of which contained disturbing content involving children aged between two and sixteen years old.

During the search, officers found the devices contained a range of images and videos, some classified as the most severe category A, which depicts serious abuse, while others fell into categories B and C. The severity of the content underscores the gravity of the offense. The police also discovered that some of these images and videos had been accessed and downloaded within the last five years, although they were not immediately accessible to law enforcement at the time of the search.

Prosecutor Kevin Corrans told the court that Moncrieff had cooperated to some extent, revealing the locations of the various devices and storage media. He explained that a laptop was found in the bedroom, and the suspect then pointed out a black toilet bag in his wardrobe, which contained a Samsung phone box with six memory sticks. Additionally, officers found a USB stick hidden in the console of Moncrieff’s vehicle, which contained further indecent images of children, some of which had been deleted but could still be recovered.

Despite the volume of material, the police were unable to access all the content immediately. Nonetheless, the evidence was overwhelming, with a total of 252,901 indecent images and videos discovered across all devices. Among these, 2,169 were classified as category A, indicating the most serious abuse, and 2,807 as category B, with the remaining falling into category C.

During the court proceedings, Moncrieff’s defense solicitor, Duncan Henderson, stated that his client was not seeking bail. Moncrieff pleaded guilty to charges of taking, permitting, or making indecent images of children, with the offenses spanning from May 9, 2013, to June 8, 2018. The case was adjourned for four weeks to allow for reports to be prepared, and in the meantime, Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov ordered that Moncrieff be placed on the sex offenders register. The court also remanded him in custody pending sentencing, which was subsequently deferred to a later date.