ANTHONY DUNCAN SHAMES PERTH WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS IN HORRIFIC ONLINE CRIME
In April 2021, a disturbing case emerged from Perth involving Anthony Duncan, a 43-year-old man whose actions have shocked the local community and prompted serious legal consequences.Duncan’s name has been officially added to the Sex Offenders’ Register following a police operation that uncovered a vast collection of child abuse material at his residence.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Duncan’s flat located on Hospital Street after he was caught in a police sting operation designed to combat online child exploitation.
The operation was part of a broader initiative to track and apprehend individuals involved in the distribution and possession of illegal images and videos of minors.
The investigation was triggered when Duncan believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl on the teenage social media and dating website http://www.mylol.com.
Under the username Sarababes, he engaged in a series of sexually explicit messages and sent a disturbing photograph depicting a male holding a body part in a state of arousal.
However, Duncan’s online interactions were not with a minor but with an undercover police operative operating under the pseudonym “Jack.” This undercover operation was part of Operation Jenson, a specialized initiative led by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit aimed at tackling online child abuse.
The police in Scotland were alerted to the suspicious conversations, which persisted for over a week, through confidential information indicating that Duncan was using two accounts, Sarababes and NBrown2019, to communicate with the undercover officer.
On the morning of March 3, 2020, at approximately 7:45 am, police officers arrived at Duncan’s Perth home with a search warrant.
During the raid, they seized multiple electronic devices, including an Acer laptop and a Samsung mobile phone, which were later examined for evidence.
Depute fiscal Gail Russell reported that a total of 775 indecent images of children were recovered from Duncan’s devices.
These images were categorized into three levels of severity: 259 were classified as Category A, representing the most obscene material; 214 were Category B; and 302 fell into Category C.
The police also discovered videos with a combined running time exceeding four days, specifically 4 days, 10 hours, 31 minutes, and 45 seconds.
The earliest of these videos was created on August 27, 2013, with the most recent on February 25, 2020.
Further charges revealed that Duncan had engaged in online sexual communication with the undercover officer between December 31, 2019, and January 7, 2020.
During this period, he sent explicit messages and an indecent image to the officer, with the intent of deriving sexual gratification or causing distress.
Duncan also admitted to downloading child abuse images at his Perth residence from August 27, 2013, through to the date of the police raid in March 2020.
At the time of his arrest, Duncan was employed as a change consultant for the insurance company Aviva.
He lived alone and had no prior criminal record.
When police arrived, Duncan appeared extremely nervous and inquired about the consequences if they found illegal material.
He was cautioned and informed of the proceedings.
During the police investigation, Duncan made several disturbing statements.
In one exchange with the undercover officer, he expressed admiration for the girl he believed he was chatting with, saying, “I honestly think you are the sweetest girl on the planet,” and described himself as sitting in his boxers, “about bursting out of them cause I think you are so beautiful.” He also claimed that all his statements were truthful.
Additionally, he mentioned trying not to think of the girl while in the shower and disclosed having had experiences with both boys and girls, further revealing his inappropriate mindset.
The case was brought before Perth Sheriff Court, where Sheriff William Wood deferred sentencing until next month.
The court also postponed a Crown motion to forfeit various electronic devices seized during the raid.
The length of time Duncan’s name will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register will be determined after a plea in mitigation from his defense lawyer, David Holmes, and the completion of a background report and assessment from the Tay Project, a rehabilitation program for sex offenders.
