A “high risk” former serviceman who incited an Angus woman to send him vile videos of her “crushing” two babies for his sexual pleasure faces being monitored for life.
Andrew Kerr, 36, posed as a stuntman on Facebook and promised Gemma McFee would be paid to share the shocking clips.
Sentencing on Kerr has been remitted to the High Court to assess his suitability for a lifelong restriction order, meaning he could be subjected to conditions and monitoring until he dies.
High, potentially fatal, risk to public
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Kerr was assessed by a psychologist as being among an “exceptional few” who pose such a high risk of re-offending.
Forensic psychologist Dr Lorraine Johnstone concluded Kerr poses a high risk to the public, with potentially fatal consequences.
Kerr, of John Street, Dunoon, claimed he was working for a film company but in reality he was stationed at RAF bases in Lossiemouth and Cyprus.
Over four days in June 2018, Kerr had made contact with McFee claiming he was working for a film company and asked her to carry out the sickening abuse of children, including sitting and standing on them.
The creep was snared after intelligence about his activity on Facebook was shared with the Ministry of Defence.
In one message, he wrote: “Gives a new meaning to babysitting haha.”
Discharged from RAF
Military officers also uncovered a stash of child abuse material after searching his room.
He was discharged from the RAF in November 2019 after his offences came to light.
Prosecutor Kirsten Letford previously told the court Kerr, who had posed as a film stuntman, had initially paid McFee to stand on him, under the guise of it being for a film.
“He gave her detailed instructions and asked her to send him recordings of the assaults. She would be paid for the clips.”
She sent seven clips in total.
The children could be heard giggling, before screaming, in footage that was played to the court.
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown ruled the 28-year-old former nursery assistant was “naïve” and had been “exploited” by Kerr.
The charges
Kerr, who served in the air force for a decade, pled guilty to taking or permitting to be taken, indecent images of children between November 27 2012 and July 18 2018 at RAF Lossiemouth, John Street in Dunoon and RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus and elsewhere.
On various occasions between April 7 and 22 2017 in Elgin, Kerr incited another woman into assaulting a child by sitting and standing on them.
He also admitted a third charge of inciting McFee to assault two children by sitting and standing on their bodies, between June 17 and 21 2018.
Solicitor John Kilcoyne said: “He had been diagnosed with dissociative personality disorder. Other professionals disagree with this.
“He has found this experience very traumatic. If a custodial sentence was imposed then he is a suicide risk.
“He has caused significant emotional damage to the child. He does realise it’s an extremely serious offence.”
Following the conclusions of reports ordered on Kerr, Sheriff Alastair Carmichael remitted the case to the High Court for a further report into his suitability for lifelong restriction.
He told Kerr: “I have two reports… and they both say you pose a risk to others.
“I think I therefore have to remit this case to the High Court to allow them to instruct another report to see if you do meet the criteria.”
‘Unknown’ psychological impact on children
During last year’s sentencing of McFee, Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown also banned McFee from having contact with any child under the age of 17 but stopped short of jailing her.
She said: “You exercised extremely poor judgement at a time when your mental health was frail and you were experiencing financial difficulties.
“You were manipulated and exploited by a male who took advantage of your vulnerable state.
“I think that your relative youth may provide an explanation for your naivety in response to the suggestion posed by the male.
“It is accepted there was no actual danger to the lives of the two children. Had the assaults continued then their lives would have been in danger, but they did not.
“No medical treatment was required and you eventually came to your senses and refused the increasingly more dangerous suggestions [made by Kerr].
“While the psychological impact of the knowledge of these offences when the children are older is unknown, there is no significant physical impact upon them.
“You’ve expressed considerable remorse.”