A pervert grandad who was caught with a horrific video showing the kidnap and rape of a young schoolgirl has been spared a jail sentence. Paul Mackie, 71, was found to have downloaded a vile collection of images and videos of children being abused by adults when kidnapped last year.
One depraved video was entitled “13-year-old Becky walking home from school when she was told the court , taken to a disused warehouse, and raped”. Mackie pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and he was back in the dock for sentencing Friday.
Solicitor Kevin Connor, defending, custodial sentencehis client “cannot provide any coherent reason for possessing the images”. Mr Connor added Mackie had “initially accessed the images accidentally” but that he then went on to scour the web for more illicit material.
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Sheriff Wendy Sheehan told the pensioner: “I have carefully considered the circumstances of this offence and what has been said in the report by the social worker and by your solicitor. “You have been convicted of a crime that could attract a custodial sentence.
“But in considering a direct alternative to custody I take on board your age, your health and the fact you have no prior or convictions at all.” The sheriff placed Mackie on the Sex Offenders Register for two years and was also placed him under the supervision of the social work department for the same length of time.
The OAP was also handed a conduct requirement banning him from having any contact with any child under 16 and he must allow police to inspect any devices he owns capable of accessing the internet. The court previously heard police officers raided Mackie’s home on August 5 last year after receiving a tip off the images were being downloaded at his address.
The sick collection of 52 images and 10 videos - with some rated at the worst level of Category A - was found to be stored on a mobile phone and a system unit. Fiscal depute Susan Dickson said the images depicted girls between the ages of eight and 12-years-old being sexually abused by adults.
The court heard a Category A video found on Mackie’s phone was entitled “13-year-old Becky walking home from school when she was kidnapped, taken to a disused warehouse, and raped”. Ms Dickson said: “This depicted a girl aged around 13 years being raped by an adult man.”
Mackie, of the capital’s Restalrig, pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing indecent images of children at his home address on August 5 last year.
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