Edinburgh crime: Kevin Kenny escapes jail after downloading haul of 20,000 child abuse images

The 46-year-old was caught with more than 20,000 images

An Edinburgh man who was caught with more than 20,000 images depicting the sexual abuse of children has escaped a jail sentence.

Kevin Kenny downloaded the huge haul of vile pictures and videos to three electronic devices over a six year period at his home at the Capital’s Murrayfield area. Kenny, 46, was found to possess horrific material showing both male and female children being sexually abused by adults when police raided his home on September 9 last year.

He voluntarily handed over a mobile phone and laptop during the search but officers went on to find an electronic tablet hidden down the side of his bed. Kenny pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children between 2016 and 2022 when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and he returned to the dock for sentencing on Wednesday.

Edinburgh man Kevin Kenny has escaped a jail sentence

Sheriff Wendy Sheehan placed him on a supervision order and on the Sex Offenders Register for two years and sentenced him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work in the community. The sheriff also imposed a conduct requirement where Kenny will have to disclose any online activity when required to do so by his supervising officer.

Previously fiscal depute Matthew Miller told the court police received intelligence indecent images of children were being accessed at Kenny’s home that he shares with his mother. The court was told police officers raided the property at around 9am on September 9 last year.

A Police Scotland cyber crime report showed Kenny had downloaded a total of 24,464 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children to all three devices. The court heard the depraved images featured both male and female children and contained hundreds rated at Category A - the most depraved end of the spectrum.

The Crown’s motion for forfeiture of all three devices was granted. Kenny pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children at his home in Edinburgh between February 3, 2016 and September 9 last year.