INVERCLYDE PAEDOPHILE AND IRAQ WAR VETERAN THOMAS BRANKIN JAILED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES
In April 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Thomas Brankin, a man with a military background and a resident of Inverclyde, who was convicted of possessing and facilitating the distribution of highly disturbing child sexual abuse images.The court heard that Brankin, a 44-year-old father of two, had engaged in a prolonged and deliberate search for illicit material involving very young girls, some as young as one year old.
Brankin’s background as a veteran of the Iraq War and a former private bodyguard in conflict zones has been overshadowed by his criminal actions.
His activities came to light after authorities discovered that he had stored a significant amount of illegal content on a laptop computer.
This device was hidden beneath his bed in a locked room within his upscale villa in Wemyss Bay, a property he shared with his sister and adult niece, who were unaware of his illicit activities.
During the trial, it was revealed that Brankin had used depraved and explicit search terms on the internet, specifically seeking images and videos depicting the sexual abuse and rape of underage girls.
The material was found to be stored on his laptop, which he claimed was accessible to others, including close relatives, because it was not password protected.
Brankin argued that he believed others could have accessed the content when he was away, but the jury found sufficient evidence to convict him of both taking and possessing indecent images of children, with the offences spanning from March 16, 2011, to February 11, 2018.
In a pre-sentencing report, it was noted that Brankin exhibited limited recognition of the severity of his crimes, which contributed to the court’s decision.
Advocate Mr MacLeod, representing Brankin, suggested that a lenient approach might be appropriate, emphasizing his military background and the circumstances.
However, Sheriff Joseph Hughes, after careful consideration of the social work report and the nature of the offences, determined that only a custodial sentence would be proportionate.
Sheriff Hughes described the searches Brankin conducted as deliberate and indicative of a disturbing pattern of behavior.
He stated, “I’ve reflected very carefully on the criminal justice social work report.
The report says you are unable to recognise the seriousness of the offences.
Only a custodial sentence is proportionate for the seriousness of the offences.” As a result, Brankin was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
Additionally, he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of ten years, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and potential risk to the community.
This case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the distribution and possession of child abuse images, and the importance of judicial measures to protect vulnerable victims from exploitation.
