ANDREW BAYNE FROM DUNDEE CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND MISUSE OF LIBRARY COMPUTER
In February 2019, a disturbing incident involving Andrew Bayne, a resident of Dundee, came to light during a court hearing that revealed troubling details about his actions and past offenses.Bayne, aged 55, who previously worked as a healthcare assistant for NHS Tayside, was brought before Sheriff Alastair Brown following allegations of breaching court orders and possessing indecent images of children.
Bayne’s legal troubles stem from a series of serious offenses related to child exploitation.
It was established that between July 2013 and November 2017, he had accumulated and stored over 12 hours’ worth of videos depicting children being abused.
These videos, along with numerous images, were found on his computer equipment during a police search conducted on November 30 of the previous year.
The police were alerted to his illicit collection after a tip-off, which prompted a search of his residence on Church Street, Dundee.
During the search, officers observed Bayne appearing visibly shaken and attempting to conceal his belongings.
He was seen putting his hand into the rear pocket of his jeans, claiming he only had his phone and wallet there.
However, a subsequent search revealed a tablet and an SD card hidden within his trousers, both containing child abuse images.
Additionally, a laptop and a hard drive were seized, all of which contained indecent images of female children aged between eight and 14.
The material included four images and ten videos classified at Category A, the most severe level, involving sadism and rape scenarios involving children.
Further examination uncovered images and videos at Category B, along with 1,142 images and three videos at Category C, indicating a wide range of severity in the material Bayne possessed.
Prior to this incident, Bayne had already been subject to legal restrictions due to his previous admission of having a collection of child rape videos in 2017.
As a result, he was placed on the sex offenders register for three years and was prohibited from accessing the internet without explicit permission from his supervising officer.
Despite these restrictions, Bayne was found to have used a public computer at Dundee’s Central Library to browse various websites, including TalkTalk and Cineworld, and to look at golfing holidays online.
His actions prompted a court appearance where Sheriff Brown used an analogy about online reviews to illustrate the importance of compliance with court orders.
During the hearing, Sheriff Brown addressed Bayne directly, stating, “I have no doubt the order to which you are subjected is causing you all sorts of difficulties.
It’s meant to.” He further commented on the absence of a recent review of Dundee Sheriff Court, humorously suggesting that Bayne’s previous weekend visits to the court were akin to short getaways, but now he was facing a more extended stay in Perth, implying ongoing legal consequences.
Bayne pleaded guilty to breaching the terms of his community payback order, which included restrictions on internet use.
When questioned about why he did not seek permission from his supervising officer before accessing the internet, solicitor David Duncan responded, “That’s a question I am sure he has spent the last several hours asking himself.” Despite the serious nature of his offenses, Bayne was permitted to continue his community order and remain at liberty following the court proceedings.
The court had previously heard that Bayne’s collection of child abuse videos and images was extensive, with authorities describing the material as horrific and indicative of severe abuse.
Sheriff Carmichael emphasized that the community payback order was a direct alternative to jail, warning Bayne that non-compliance would result in a return to custody.
The court’s decision reflected the gravity of his offenses, and the case remains a stark reminder of the ongoing issues surrounding child exploitation and the importance of strict enforcement of legal restrictions.
