A pensioner convicted of possessing more than 2,000 indecent images of children has avoided a prison sentence.
George Campbell, 77, was found unanimously guilty by a jury at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month of downloading thousands of pictures of children on his home computer.
It was stated by Campbell that he had only used the computer, which was situated in a small home office, to watch news and sport.
However, when police raided the pensioner’s Banchory property, they found a computer tower which was analysed and found to contain indecent images of children.
Campbell – who represented himself at trial – was convicted of downloading those images between July 24 2020 and December 12 2021.
Images found on computer tower
One detective who gave evidence at the trial told jurors that when they raided Campbell’s property, cybercrime officers checked all the household devices and found one item “positive” for indecent content.
The detective said Campbell admitted that the computer tower identified by police belonged to him.
As he was cautioned and charged, Campbell told: “It wasn’t me. I don’t know what you’re on about – I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
At trial, Campbell said he had no idea how thousands of images featuring child abuse material had been downloaded onto his device.
It was put to him that he had downloaded around 2,135 images of children, which he repeatedly denied.
Of the total number of images found on Campbell’s computer tower, 244 were of the most serious Category A.
Around 161 images were considered to be Category B, and 1,730 were Category C.
Following the trial, Campbell was found unanimously guilty by the jury.
‘I do not want to be incarcerated’
As he appeared for sentence, the pensioner, who continued to represent himself, repeated that he denied his guilt despite the verdict.
He told Sheriff Ian Wallace that he carried out caring duties for his wife and therefore, in his opinion, would not be suitable for an electronic tag.
Stating that he had no previous convictions, Campbell said: “I have nothing more to say,” before adding: “Only that I do not want to be incarcerated.”
Sentencing Campbell, Sheriff Wallace told him that a report into his background had recommended programme work to “prevent you offending in this manner in future”.
The sheriff added that he was satisfied that an appropriate alternative to a custodial sentence could be imposed.
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Wallace made Campbell, of Auchattie Road, Banchory, subject to a community payback order with supervision for two years and ordered him to carry out 280 hours of unpaid work.
He also placed Campbell on the sex offenders register for two years and ordered him to take part in a sex offenders programme.
“This is for you to address your offending – the specific type of offending you have been convicted of,” the sheriff added.
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