INVERNESS MAN ALLISTER DAVIDSON ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE HAVING OVER 1400 CHILD PORN IMAGES

In a case that has shocked the community of Inverness, Allister Davidson, aged 46, was brought before the local sheriff court following the disturbing discovery of over 1,400 indecent images of children stored on his electronic devices. The investigation revealed that these images were found on multiple pieces of equipment, including a laptop, a tower computer, and a pen drive, all seized during police searches conducted on May 9 of the previous year.

Depute fiscal Iain Smith detailed to the court that the images ranged from less severe to the most serious categories of child exploitation material. The sheer volume and nature of the images prompted a serious legal response, although the final sentence was influenced by guidelines that restrict the severity of penalties based on the number and type of images involved.

During the hearing, Sheriff Ian Abercrombie explained that under High Court guidelines, a custodial sentence was not deemed appropriate in this case because the images found did not meet the threshold for a harsher penalty. Instead, Davidson was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and placed under a supervision order. Additionally, he was ordered to participate in a joint sex offenders’ treatment program, emphasizing the court’s focus on rehabilitation.

Marc Dickson, representing Davidson, provided some background, stating that his client was a single man with a stable employment history spanning 14 years at Lifescan Scotland. However, Davidson chose to resign from his job to avoid causing his employer embarrassment due to the court proceedings. Mr. Dickson also highlighted Davidson’s cooperation with police, noting that he accepted responsibility for his actions and was the sole user of the devices in question.

In addressing the court, Sheriff Abercrombie acknowledged the disturbing nature of the case but also recognized Davidson’s remorse, suggesting that this sentencing provides an opportunity for him to rehabilitate. The sheriff emphasized that the sentence was a reflection of the legal constraints and the specifics of the case, rather than a dismissal of its severity.

This case follows a recent controversy in Inverness where Sheriff Margaret Neilson criticized the Crown prosecution’s decision to downgrade another child pornography case involving Bryan Haswell, a 34-year-old man from Culloden. Sheriff Neilson expressed her disapproval, stating she would have preferred to see a longer prison sentence, but the case was reduced from an indictment to a summary procedure, limiting her sentencing options. Haswell had admitted to downloading images and videos of children, some as young as one year old, with police uncovering over 400 such files from his devices between September 2009 and February 2010.

The community remains deeply concerned about the prevalence of such crimes and the legal limitations that sometimes restrict the severity of punishments, raising ongoing debates about justice and rehabilitation for offenders involved in child exploitation.