Edinburgh OAP caught with 370,000 sickening child abuse images

A pensioner has appeared in court after being caught with a massive 370,000 horrific child abuse images.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.

Leslie Rutherford, 66, was found to have downloaded the huge haul of disturbing material over a 21 year period when police raided his Edinburgh home last year.

Officers seized several devices from the property and the images - which were downloaded between 1999 and last year - were discovered by Police Scotland cyber crime officers.

Abuse images: Leslie RutherfordAbuse images: Leslie Rutherford
Abuse images: Leslie Rutherford
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Prosecutor Anna Chisholm told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that police had attended pervert Rutherford’s home with a search warrant on September 7 last year.

Ms Chisholm said “the accused was not present but family members were” and Rutherford, a first offender, was at work at the time of the raid.

He was later traced and arrested.

The fiscal said a total of 373,123 pictures of children being sexually abused were found on the devices - including 464 Category A which are considered to be the most depraved end of the spectrum.

The court was also told a further 682 videos had been downloaded by Rutherford - including 118 Category A.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Solicitor Nigel Bruce said he would reserve any mitigation to the sentencing hearing.

Sheriff Nigel Ross said “due to the nature of the offending” he would have to call for reports and deferred sentence to next month.

Rutherford, of Newbridge, Edinburgh, was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and granted bail.

He pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing indecent images of children between March 11, 1999 and September 7 last year.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.