East Lothian crime: Pervert pensioner caught with thousands of child abuse images jailed

A pervert pensioner who was caught with thousands of disgusting child abuse images has been jailed.

Thomas Campbell has been jailed for 18 months

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Thomas Campbell downloaded a haul of almost 7000 indecent pictures over an eight year period which showed children as young as two-years-old being sexually abused by adults.

Campbell, 70, was said to have possessed more than 1000 images rated at Category A - the most depraved end of the spectrum.

Campbell pleaded guilty to possessing the images between 2013 and last year when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and he returned to the dock for sentencing on Tuesday.

The court was told the OAP’s wife is standing by him but his adult children have disowned him and they have also banned him from having any contact with his grandchildren.

Sheriff Alistair Noble told Campbell “custody can’t be avoided in this case” due to the “gravity of the offending” and jailed the pensioner for 18 months.

The sheriff also placed Campbell, from Port Seton, East Lothian, on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Previously the court was told police raided his home after receiving intelligence that he was downloading the vile material while living at his former home in Loanhead, Midlothian.

Officers discovered five electronic devices containing the images at the property with two hard drives hidden away in his attic.

Fiscal depute Anna Chisholm told the court a total of 3782 accessible indecent images of children were recovered along with a further 3165 images which were said to be inaccessible.

Ms Chisholm said more than 1000 of the pictures were rated at Category A and added the images contained both male and female children with the victims ranging in age between two and 16-years-old.

Ms Chisholm said the internet searches used by Campbell included the terms “teen dolls” and “pre-teen angels”.

Solicitor Mark Harrower, defending, handed the court “a very eloquent” letter of support from Campbell’s wife but said his children did not want any contact with their father.

The lawyer added since his arrest Campbell had voluntarily attended sessions with child abuse organisation Stop It Now and had paid for treatment with a private counsellor.

Mr Harrower said his client was “extremely embarrassed and ashamed” at his offending and also for the “pain and suffering he has caused his wife”.

Campbell pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing indecent images of children between July 17, 2013 and March 22 last year.

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