July 2021

Perthshire pervert who blamed dead son for downloading child abuse images is spared prison

A paedophile dad who tried to blame his dead son for a hidden stash of child abuse images has been spared jail.

Pensioner Ewan MacLeod was found guilty of downloading thousands of illicit photos and videos – including some at the top end of the obscenity scale – at his home in Glenfarg.

Jurors at Perth Sheriff Court rejected his claim the files had been downloaded over a 10-year period by his musician son Douglas, before his sudden death.

MacLeod, 69, dodged a prison sentence when he returned to the dock on Monday.

He was instead ordered to carry out unpaid work as part of a two-year community payback order.

Solicitor David Holmes said his client continues to maintain his innocence.

“Given the nature of the offence, and given Mr MacLeod’s history, it seems to me that the court is faced with a choice between custody or a direct alternative to custody,” he said.

“Perhaps it would be appropriate to impose a period of unpaid work.”

The court heard more than 4,800 photographs and 21 videos were found across a range of devices seized by police at MacLeod’s home.

Jurors were told a computer containing images was found in a room which had been used by MacLeod’s son.

Sheriff William Wood told MacLeod: “The jury at your trial were clearly satisfied on the basis of the evidence they heard that you were responsible for these photographs.

“I need to balance your previous good character against the duration of your offending.

“Although the threshold for a custodial sentence has been met, there is another way to deal with this.

“I take into account the relatively low number of category A and B images.”

The court heard McLeod deny he was a computer expert who would have been able to hide the images or delete any trace of them.

However, he admitted working in IT and that he had been able to put the computer at the centre of the case together from parts salvaged from other devices.

He was found guilty of downloading the obscene files at his home between March 2, 2007, and December 2, 2017.

MacLeod was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work as part of a two-year community payback and supervision order. He will also remain on the sex offenders’ register for the length of the order.

Equipment including a laptop has been forfeited by prosecutors.

June 2021

Scots paedo who lured child to house for sex set rottweiler on two schoolgirls

A sex offender who incited his rottweiler to attack two schoolgirls was jailed for three months 

Martin Reeves incited the dog to chase the girls and they were forced to run across a road without looking as they tried to escape.

Reeves was found guilty of attacking the 14 and 15-year-old girls in Balhousie Street, Perth, after a trial at the city’s sheriff court.

He was found guilty of assaulting the teenagers by repeatedly inciting his rottweiler to menace, attack, injure and pursue them on 16 June last year.

The teenagers told the court they had not done anything to annoy the dog and that Reeves had not been provoked into setting it upon them.

They described how they saw the rottweiler bare its teeth and they both felt they had to run away across the road at speed to avoid being bitten.

Sheriff Neil Bowie imposed a three month prison sentence but said it should run concurrently with a 74-week term imposed on Reeves last week for a sexual offence.

In that case, a hunt for a missing child led to her being discovered under the bed of 33-year-old paedophile Reeves, who had lured her to his home to rape her.

He subsequently admitted sexually assaulting and injuring the 15-year-old girl by repeatedly having sex with her.

Sheriff William Wood told him: “This is a serious offence. You were a much older man and in a situation where this child was taken advantage of by you when she was vulnerable.

“You knew what age she was at the time. You knew how old she was because she told you. Only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

Solicitor David Holmes told Perth Sheriff Court that his client was an alcoholic who had been left traumatised by seeing his father choke to death two years ago.

The court was told that the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been moved to the Perth area from England for her own safety.

But she met predatory paedophile Reeves during a visit to Perth city centre in October 2020 and he invited her back to his home when they met again in December.

Reeves initially refused to let police in when his home became central to the missing persons inquiry and he denied having any knowledge of the girl at first.

He eventually let officers into his home but continued to deny that she was present despite them pointing out her distinctive jacket lying on his sofa.

Officers searched the property and noticed a hand sticking out from beneath the bed and the girl told them it was where Reeves had told her to hide.

Reeves then shouted at the officers: “There’s nothing wrong with a 16-year-old and a 33-year-old, you arseholes.” He denied being aware of her age.

Reeves, South William Street, Perth, admitted engaging in sexual activity and having penetrative sex with a 15-year-old girl at his home on 15 and 16 December last year.

June 2021

Missing Scots child found under bed of paedophile who had lured her home to have sex

A hunt for a missing child led to her discovery under the bed of a 33-year-old paedophile who had lured her to his home to have sex with her.

Martin Reeves was jailed for 74 weeks today after he admitted sexually assaulting and injuring the 15-year-old girl by repeatedly having sex with her.

Reeves whinged that going to jail as a sex beast would damage his standing and said he was concerned that he would be shunned by his friends when he is released.

Sheriff William Wood told him: “This is a serious offence. You were a much older man and in a situation where this child was taken advantage of by you when she was vulnerable.

“You knew what age she was at the time. You knew how old she was because she told you. Only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

Solicitor David Holmes told Perth Sheriff Court that his client was an alcoholic who had been left traumatised by seeing his father choke to death two years ago.

The court heard how a hunt was launched for the vulnerable teenager after she went missing from the local authority unit she had been moved to for her own protection.

Reeve left the vulnerable 15-year-old girl with internal injuries after twice having sex with her despite knowing she was underage

The court was told that the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been moved to the Perth area for her own safety.

But she met predatory paedophile Reeves during a visit to Perth city centre in October 2020 and he invited her back to his home when they met again in December.

Reeves initially refused to let police in when his home became central to the missing persons inquiry and he denied having any knowledge of the girl at first.

He eventually let officers into his home but continued to deny that she was present despite them pointing out her distinctive jacket lying on his sofa.

Officers searched the property and noticed a hand sticking out from beneath the bed and the girl told them it was where Reeves had told her to hide.

Reeves, South William Street, Perth, admitted engaging in sexual activity and having penetrative sex with a 15-year-old girl at his home on 15 and 16 December last year.

“The accused is 33 and is an alcoholic,” fiscal depute Michael Sweeney told the court.

“He has 18 previous convictions and has been imprisoned on various occasions.

“She was a ‘looked after child’. Her parental rights had moved to the local authority.

They met during one of her visits to Perth. The accused was made aware of her age.

“On 15 December she returned to the same area alone and without the authority being aware. She recognised the accused and reminded him who she was.

“They went to his home. The accused removed all of his clothing and her leggings. They had sex.

“The complainer felt pain and informed the accused who apologised. The accused did not wear a condom. She reminded him she was 15 which did not seem to worry him.

“They had sex again. At 4pm there was knocking at the door and the accused instructed her to hide under the bed, which she did. It was police investigating reports of her being missing.

“He denied the complainer was there but eventually let them in. One officer noticed a hand sticking out from beneath the bed. She was wearing pants and a hoodie.”

Reeves shouted at the officers: “There’s nothing wrong with a 16-year-old and a 33-year-old, you a********.”

October 2020

Creepy pervert stalked neighbour who helped him during lockdown then sexually assaulted her

A creepy pervert who stalked and then sexually assaulted a Good Samaritan neighbour who helped him during lockdown has been banned from going near her.

Barrie Cameron has been ordered to stay away from the traumatised mum after he admitted stalking her for six months.

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Cameron turned into the neighour-from-hell and plagued the woman for months before brawling with police who came to arrest him.

Cameron, 42, has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register after he admitted stalking the 28-year-old victim between 1 March and 14 August.

The court was told the woman – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was left distressed and anxious as a result of Cameron’s unwanted attention.

During the campaign of abuse he stormed into her home, “hugged her tightly” and told her she made him “horny” before sexually assaulting her in the street.

Fiscal depute Tina Dickie said the victim lived with her children and partner, who often worked away from home. Their home was close to Cameron’s although they had never really spoken to him before the pandemic.

“In March, around the lockdown period, she reached out to him because he was living alone. One evening they found him at the door and he wanted to come in,” she said

“He came into the living room and sat on the sofa next to her and hugged her very tightly. She was left feeling alarmed with his strange behaviour.”

Mrs Dickie said that on another occasion Cameron was leering at the woman while she rocked a baby and sang a nursery rhyme to him.

“He was observing this and said ‘that’s quite a turn-on.’ He left shortly after. On another occasion he turned up, wanting to give her some beers.

“It was not long before the conversation became strange and began to alarm her. He told her he heard her and her partner having sex and that he hadn’t had sex in a long time and was very horny.

“She told him to stop speaking about things like that but he would always come back to that kind of conversation. She became wary of his behaviour.”

She told police her children were frightened by Cameron and she had become “upset and anxious.”

The victim was on a night out in July when she ran into Cameron in the street and tried to brush him off. He said: “I don’t even fancy you,” but added “you’re quite sexy when you’re mad.”

She tried to walk away but he called her “babe” and followed her before getting close enough to slap her on the bottom. Cameron said ‘sorry’ but she felt he was finding the situation amusing.

Cameron, from Perth, admitted stalking the woman for over five months and sexually assaulting her in the city on 25 July by striking her buttocks. He also admitted struggling violently with police on 14 August.

Mrs Dickie told the court that Cameron tried to break free from the two police officers who arrested him and eventually had to be restrained in rigid cuffs.

Sheriff Pino di Emidio was told Cameron was still living in close proximity to his victim.

He was made subject to a two-year non-harassment order.

Cameron was also ordered to complete 105 hours unpaid work in the community and placed under social work supervision for two years.

May 2021

Pervert caught with images of child abuse at his Perthshire home

A 49-year-old Virgin Media field engineer had his name added to the Sex Offenders’ Register yesterday after police seized electronic devices containing images of child abuse from his home.

Rodney Rice, of Kirkton Farm Cottage, Abernyte, will be sentenced on June 24 after background reports have been obtained

Depute fiscal Michael Sweeney told Perth Sheriff Court that Police Scotland obtained a search warrant for his home after receiving ‘confidential information’ that indecent images of children might be held on devices there.

The warrant was executed at 7.45am on August 19, 2020.

A White Gamemax Computer Tower was recovered and it showed that indecent images of children had been downloaded between 7.10am and 7.18am that morning.

The accused confirmed that the computer tower was his.

Officers also took possession of a Seagate hard drive.

It contained one indecent image of children and eight videos

Mr Sweeney added: “In total, the video run time was 26 minutes and 22 seconds.

“There were two category A, four category B and two category C videos

Sheriff William Wood called for a social inquiry report, as well as an assessment from the Tay Project which aims to rehabilitate sex offenders.

Rice admitted downloading indecent child abuse images at his home between April 13 and August 19, 2020.

He also pleaded guilty to owning an air weapon without the appropriate certificate.

He told police during interview he had bought it years previously in Blackpool.

It had not been used in years and he had not “got round” to getting a licence for it.

January 2021

Ninewells-based scientist caught with haul of indecent images of children avoids jail

A hospital-based scientist who was caught with a haul of indecent images of children has been placed on the sex offenders register and banned from being alone with under-18s.

University biomedical scientist Connor Sword, who is working on a short-term contract at Ninewells Hospital, was also ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work.

Sword, who was caught with the images when police raided his family home, was placed under social work supervision for two years at Dundee Sheriff Court.

The former Masters student was also made subject to a conduct requirement banning him from solo contact with children and restricting his internet use.

Sword, 27, had claimed he may have downloaded the graphic material without realising what it was but his solicitor Jamie Baxter said he now accepted what he had done.

He made a number of inappropriate searches on his computer which led to the material being obtained.

Sword, of Lethendy, Perth, admitted downloading indecent images of children at his home between May 20 and July 14 last year.

Police experts analysed his computer equipment and discovered he had been making Google searches specifically for child sexual material.

Fiscal depute Marie Irvine told the court: “He resides with his mother and younger siblings. Confidential information was received by the police that there may be indecent material at the address. A search warrant was sought and executed.”

She said officers recovered several devices and a total of more than 300 indecent images – including some at the most graphic end of the scale – were found.

“Activity showed Google search terms which suggested the creation of said images on the device was not by accident,” Miss Irvine said.

Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown placed Sword on the sex offenders register for two years and imposed the raft of measures as a direct alternative to custody.