INVERNESS PAEDOPHILE CALUM THOMSON CAUGHT IN POLICE TRAP AND SENTENCED
In October 2020, a serious case involving a convicted paedophile from Inverness culminated in a court sentencing that underscored the ongoing threat posed by individuals with a history of sexual offenses against minors.Calum Thomson, aged 56 and residing on Bruce Gardens in Inverness, found himself once again in the criminal justice system after being caught in a carefully orchestrated police operation aimed at tackling the grooming and exploitation of children through social media platforms.
The authorities had been monitoring Thomson due to his prior conviction and his ongoing status on the Sex Offenders' Register.
During the period between February 3 and February 13, Thomson engaged in a disturbing exchange of messages with someone he believed was a 12-year-old girl.
Unbeknownst to him, the individual he was communicating with was an undercover policewoman conducting an operation to apprehend adults involved in grooming minors for the purpose of sharing indecent images.
Over the course of these ten days, Thomson sent more than 230 messages, repeatedly requesting explicit photographs and urging the supposed young girl to perform sexual acts in the images.
In addition to these messages, he transmitted two indecent photographs—one depicting a man's genitals and another showing a naked male torso.
In his social media profile, Thomson falsely claimed he was 20 years younger and that he resided in Scotland, as revealed by fiscal depute Robert Weir.
Following the police investigation, a raid was conducted at Thomson’s residence on March 2.
Several electronic devices were seized, but only the two indecent images he had sent were recovered.
The court heard that Thomson had previously been convicted of similar offenses and had been ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work in July 2017 after pleading guilty to sending sexual communications to two underage girls.
In the recent case, Inverness Sheriff Court deferred sentencing to allow for a background report to be prepared.
Sheriff Aitken issued a stern warning, placing Thomson on supervision and registering him on the Sex Offenders' Register for a period of three years.
Additionally, Thomson was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community service.
The court made it clear that any breach of supervision or failure to fulfill the community work requirement would result in a jail sentence.
Sheriff Aitken emphasized the seriousness of Thomson’s actions and the potential consequences of further offending, highlighting the importance of monitoring and rehabilitation for sex offenders.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat online grooming and protect vulnerable minors from exploitation in the Highlands and beyond.
