A Highland sex attacker with a dungeon under his Caithness home made millions from running a horse racing tips firm called Isiris.
Kevin Booth was the mastermind behind the operation, which started as a phoneline service in 1992.
Isiris is still operational and members can sign up for tips at £1,495 per year.
Despite the website still advertising the service as “operated by Kevin”, Booth claims he is no longer involved with Isiris.
The 64-year-old’s case was heard at Wick Sheriff Court, where it was revealed he had an underground lair in his Caithness home where he has abused women.
The court heard the dungeon is accessed by a trapdoor and Egyptian-themed, with life-sized figures and an empty coffin.
The logo for the Isiris betting service contains the Egyptian symbol of the eye of Horus.
Booth recruited females from the UK and abroad to come to Lochdhu Lodge in Altnabreac, Caithness, and have so-called “punishment beatings” administered to them.
His actions at the lodge prompted Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingston to raise a civil action against him.
The former teacher now faces severe restrictions on his liberty.
He has been banned from travelling abroad to prevent him from grooming further victims.
As well as surrendering his passports, Booth must notify police 14 days before hiring women, such as for housekeeping roles.
Booth must also notify police in advance of any female visitors to the remote property.
Who is Kevin Booth?
It is not the first time Booth has come to the attention of the authorities.
He was charged with assaulting children in his care at a school in 1991 by caning and whipping them.
Booth left the UK before his trial in an “attempt to evade justice” and was later given a three-month suspended jail term.
In 2002, Booth was convicted after trial at Bradford Crown Court of indecently assaulting his Brazilian au pair and given two years in custody.
Isiris: The betting phoneline-turned online tipping service
At the time of his arrest, Booth was at the helm of a lucrative horse racing betting service called Isiris.
Booth was a maths teacher before turning his knowledge of fractions and odds into a tool to exploit the racing betting markets.
The operation was launched in 1992, with members paying a fee to receive insights on the daily horse racing markets from voicemails on a phoneline.
In 1997, Isiris launched online with information on gambling – at this point all tips were still given over the phone.
At the time of the website’s creation it is believed the service had more than 100,000 subscribers.
It is unclear how much involvement Booth had with the firm during his imprisonment for indecent assault in 2002.
Four years after he was jailed, Booth released the book Isiris Unveiled, a 72-page paperback revealing gambling industry secrets.
A source from the racing and gambling industries who did not want to be named told the Press and Journal that Booth made “fortunes with Isiris”.
The source, who was a former member of the service said: “He (Booth) had a network of contacts within racing, providing him with info for the bets people would pay for.
“The premium subscriptions were one thing, but he also had a premium rate call line.
“I’m sure it did very well too.”
“It was quite an iconic racing service. Vastly overpriced, but his marketing and some good results made it justifiable to plenty.”
What does Isiris do now?
Isiris is still operational and offers several services and pricing plans.
They include the Mainline package, which is “Operated by Kevin”, according to the Isiris website.
Members pay £1,495 a year for this service and tips are sent to subscribers by email.
Users can also sign up for weekly updates and a “loser service”, which instead of predicting winners advises lay bets.
In 2014, the services were advertised for £7,950 for the next year.
Advertising controversy for Kevin Booth’s Isiris
In 2012, Isiris was under investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority(ASA).
The probe looked into the wording of the firm’s listings.
Advertising copy claimed the service made members £14,505 profit from 28 main account bets.
It also stated that Isiris was a serious investment opportunity.
This claim was found to be a breach of rules by the ASA.
The listing appeared in the press but was subsequently banned from appearing in the same form.
It was found that the service advertised with “misleading investment claims”.
The advertisement claimed its profits were based on just 28 bets – the report ruled that the actual number was higher.
The report also found that some of the claims in the listing were substantiated, including the assertion that members had stayed with the service for more than 15 years.