A man avoids prison for possessing child abuse images; Ordered to move to Aberdeen and supervised.
The man, who lived in East Kilbride, will now have social work supervision for two years and must complete 300 hours of community work. This arrangement replaces a prison sentence. The sheriff also imposed additional rules, stating that Crawford cannot be alone with children and must stay away from parks and schools, where children often frequent.
Crawford admitted to possessing the images, downloaded between 2018 and last year, according to Lanarkshire Live. In February, police searched Crawford’s home and discovered the images on his devices, including his laptop, hard drive, and USB sticks.
During the search, police found 19,461 child abuse images, with over 3,000 depicting the worst kind of abuse, some involving children as young as two. Ten abusive videos were also found on his devices.
Crawford’s lawyer acknowledged the gravity of the situation and the real possibility of jail time. However, he emphasized that Crawford had generally obeyed the law and had no prior convictions. The lawyer further stated that if Crawford avoided jail, he would move, sell his house, and relocate to Aberdeen.
The lawyer stated the man stopped when caught. Crawford even paid for a course for offenders, citing boredom as his explanation. Addressing Crawford directly, the sheriff stated that, due to his age and status as a first-time offender, he would avoid jail but must now control his risk.
Crawford’s internet use will be monitored. The sheriff implemented a five-year prevention order to prevent further sexual offenses.