Kilmacolm sex offender caught with 70,000 indecent images of children

KILMACOLM SEX OFFENDER CAUGHT WITH 70,000 INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN

A PAEDOPHILE was caught with 70,000 indecent images of children stored on a hard drive in his Kilmacolm home just months after being released from prison for an identical crime.

Sex offender Craig Johnstone, who was jailed for a year and a half in February 2021 after being found with a similarly sick haul of photos and videos, was re-arrested in October 2023 following a police raid of his property.

Officers executing a search warrant recovered a hard drive from a chest of drawers in the bedroom of his home in the village and 40-year-old Johnstone 'immediately took ownership of it', Greenock Sheriff Court heard.

The pervert pleaded guilty to two indictment offences at a hearing and will be sentenced later this year.

A procurator fiscal depute told the court that the electronic device was analysed and found to contain 70,000 indecent images of children, of which 155 were in the most extreme category A, 363 were classed as category B, and the remaining were category C.

The court heard that each of the photos had creation dates attached to them, pinpointing when Johnstone downloaded them, but there is no suggestion he produced the images first-hand.

Sheriff James Varney said the case is 'alarming' and 'can only be dealt with by the imposition of custody', and an extended sentence including a period of monitoring in the community after his release will be considered.

Johnstone, who is currently in custody, will return for sentencing on May 3.