A Scottish pensioner caught with over 100,000 child abuse images has avoided jail due to his “generally good character”.
Donald Wardrop, 65, pleaded guilty to possessing indecent photographs and videos of children aged between eight and 15.
Officers recovered 100,100 indecent images from the 65-year-old’s devices, as well as a USB stick and computer holding dozens more, including 15 in the highest category of child abuse.
Despite the amount of child abuse content discovered, Wardrop avoided a custodial prison sentence at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday and was handed a community payback order.
Despite the amount of child abuse content discovered, Wardrop avoided a custodial prison sentence at Livingston Sheriff Court
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SCOTTISH COURTS AND TRIBUNALS SERVICE
The court was supplied with character references from the pensioner’s family and friends, including his wife of 42 years.
During sentencing, Sheriff Valerie Mays told him: “You had a very substantial number of images although I do accept that most of them were in the lowest category, being category C.
“In mitigation you have no previous convictions, you are remorseful, of generally good character and you took steps immediately after the offence to address your offending.
“I am just persuaded that I can deal with this by an alternative to custody.”
Officers recovered 100,100 indecent images from the 65-year-old’s devices
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PAWardrop had already admitted committing the offence at his home in Livingston Village, West Lothian, between January 2020 and November 2024.
Forensic examinations by cybercrime experts found 15 category A videos and 54 category A still images on the 65-year-old’s devices, prosecutors said.
Wardrop was also found with 100,100 accessible category C images, along with a further 15,000 that were inaccessible.
Craig Scott, defending, provided the court with four character reference letters.
He argued that many of the files were sequences of the same individuals, meaning the number of children involved was lower than the overall total implied.
Mr Scott told Livingston Sheriff Court: “He appreciates all the children in these images, although unknown to him, are real children and subject to very real abuse.
“He’s been assessed as being at low risk not only of sexual reoffending but of general offending.
“There are references from friends and family members including his wife, who is present today. That probably speaks to a higher volume than I’m able to do.
“His wife is aware of the offending nature and has made the decision to write to the court and to accompany her husband of 42 years to court today.”
Mr Scott said his client hoped to return to his former job as a lorry driver.
Wardrop was given a community payback order with 30 months’ supervision, a conduct requirement preventing him from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 18, and 200 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months.
Sheriff Mays also confirmed he will remain on the sex offenders’ register for the duration of the order.