FORFAR MAN CRAIG LAURENCE INVOLVED IN CHILD ABUSE AND ONLINE PERVERSION CASES

A disturbing case has emerged involving Craig Laurence, a 35-year-old resident of Forfar, who engaged in heinous online activities that included pretending to be a mother in order to communicate with other perverts. His actions, which spanned over four years, involved sharing extremely graphic and abusive images of children and participating in depraved conversations about child rape, murder, and torture.

Law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant at Laurence’s residence on Goosecroft in Forfar in 2020. During the raid, officers discovered a significant collection of illicit material stored on his devices. The investigation revealed a total of 217 disturbing images, along with three videos depicting child abuse. Alarmingly, nearly half of these images were classified as Category A, indicating the most severe and horrific form of child exploitation material.

Further examination of Laurence’s digital communications uncovered conversations in which he discussed and expressed a desire for violent acts against children. These conversations included explicit discussions about raping, torturing, and murdering minors, highlighting the extent of his depravity. The police found that Laurence had created a fake online profile under the alias Jill, through which he pretended to be a woman with a four-year-old daughter. This deception was used to lure and engage other users of the social media platform Kik, where he would invite them to share their sick fantasies about harming the imaginary child.

In an undercover operation, an officer assumed the identity of a user named Drew and engaged Laurence in conversation. According to Deputy Fiscal Stewart Duncan, during a court hearing at Dundee Sheriff Court, it was revealed that on September 1, 2020, a search warrant was executed at Laurence’s home, where he was found alone. Authorities confirmed that the phone seized from his residence was used by him to facilitate these illicit activities. Laurence, under the guise of Jill, engaged in explicit and extreme chats with others, including the undercover officer, about the rape and murder of children.

The court was informed that after engaging with the undercover officer, Laurence sent a video depicting the abuse of a young girl. He openly discussed how brutality was a sexual turn-on and admitted to possessing videos of babies crying, further illustrating the depth of his disturbing interests. His conversations and actions demonstrated a clear pattern of predatory behavior and a willingness to indulge in extreme acts of child abuse.

Laurence pleaded guilty to two charges. The first involved the period from July 10, 2016, to September 2, 2020, during which he took or allowed the creation of indecent images or pseudo images of children. The second charge related to the distribution or showing of such images at his Forfar address between August 28, 2020, and September 2, 2020. The court heard that Laurence’s actions were both deliberate and ongoing over several years.

Sheriff Alistair Carmichael decided to defer sentencing until February to allow for comprehensive reports to be prepared. In the meantime, Laurence was immediately placed on the Sex Offenders Register. As he left the court, Laurence showed no visible emotion, covering his face with a hat and facemask, reflecting the gravity of the charges and his guilty plea.