May 2021

Pervert shared sickening child sex abuse images online and discussed abuse fantasies

A man has been warned it is “highly possible” he will be jailed for distributing indecent images of children online and discussing sickening abuse fantasies on messaging apps.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told Scott Smollet used Snapchat to swap horrifying pictures of child sexual abuse and rape.

Children as young as three featured in his depraved stash of images, which included files ranked as category A – the most serious.

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The 44-year-old was caught when police received intelligence about indecent images of children being uploaded from his address in Kintore.

The images featured girls aged approximately six to eight years old.

A chat with an unidentified person was also found where category A images had been sent from the phone. The image was of a boy and a girl aged approximately 10 years old.

In August last year the same person was sent two more category A images and one category A video from the phone.

The images feature girls approximately eight years old and the video features a girl aged approximately six years old.

He admitted using chat websites to engage in sexualised conversations with others and to exchange sexual images including indecent images of children.

Smollet was cautioned and charged.

Smollet, of Brae Crescent, Kintore, pled guilty to distributing or showing indecent images of children, and to taking, permitting to be taken or making indecent images of children.

Sheriff Philip Mann said he would “give consideration to all possible disposals”, warning: “A custodial sentence is entirely possible.”

He deferred sentence until next month and ordered a social work report and restriction of liberty order assessment.

The sheriff also made Smollet subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act.

May 2021

Supermarket worker sent 13-year-old sexual video from Morrisons toilet

A pervert sent a 13-year-old vile sexual images of himself in the toilets at the supermarket where he worked.

Henry Cole, 21, contacted two different children on Snapchat, sending them sickening sexual messages, images and videos.

He told one 13-year-old he wanted to have sex with her on the bonnet of his car, and sent her an explicit video of himself in the toilets of Morrisons supermarket in Peterhead, where he worked at the time.

April 2021

Extended 16-year sentence for ‘vicious’ thug convicted of four rape charges

A “vicious” sex offender has been jailed for more than a decade after being convicted of four charges of rape.

Robert Garden was slammed for the “degrading and humiliating” way in which he treated his two victims.

The 33-year-old was found guilty following a high court trial of a total of six charges, including four of rape.

He was also convicted of sexual assault and of assault to injury.

The offences were committed between 2011 and 2017 at addresses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

The assault charge involved Garden headbutting his victim, striking her with his fists, pouring food over her, pushing a cable against her neck and threatening to kill her.

One of the rape incidents occurred while Garden’s victim was intoxicated and unable to give or withhold consent, and another involved him restraining his victim and compressing her throat with his hand.

And Garden has now appeared back in the dock at the High Court in Aberdeen to be sentenced over the sickening offences.

Judge Graham Buchanan told Garden: “You were convicted by the jury of four charges of rape, one of sexual assault and one of assault.

“These crimes were committed against two women.

“Your behaviour towards them was truly degrading and humiliating.

“You continue to vehemently deny your guilt, and show no remorse whatsoever.

“It’s clear that such is the gravity of the offences before the court, there is no alternative to the imposition of a very substantial custodial sentence.

“You present a high risk of causing serious harm from which it is necessary to protect the public.”

He added: “To rape a woman in the vicious manner you did is a very serious matter.”

The judge imposed a 16-year extended sentence, consisting of 13 years in custody and a further three years on license and under supervision.

He also made Garden, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act for an indefinite period, and made non-harassment order in relation to his victims for an indeterminate period.

April 2021

Man convicted of child abuse offences in Aberdeen

A man responsible for sexually abusing children over a 35-year period has been convicted today (Wednesday, April 14).

Following a trial at the Glasgow High Court William Hay, aged 72, was convicted of multiple counts of indecent assault and lewd behaviour.

He sexually abused 10 boys in the Aberdeen area between 1981 and 2016.

All of the victims knew Hay from local school football training and sea cadet training.

The victims were aged between 10 and 15-years-old.