DAVID RITCHIE FROM KINTORERECEIVES TWO-YEAR SENTENCE FOR ONLINE CHILD SEX OFFENCES

In September 2017, a man from Kintore named David Ritchie was sentenced to two years in detention after admitting to online sexual offences involving underage girls.

Ritchie, 20, engaged in conversations with two 13-year-old schoolgirls on Snapchat. Following normal chats, he began sending them explicit pictures of himself and persisted in demanding that they send him nude images in return. He also admitted to sending explicit photos of himself to a 15-year-old.

The two teenagers were approached despite Ritchie being previously ordered not to contact anyone under the age of 16. Police raided his residence on Carnie Brae, where they discovered his phone hidden in a cavity within a wall, containing evidence of his activity.

He confessed to the offenses at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month and was sentenced the following day. Sheriff Andrew Miller stated, “In my view, a community based disposal is not justifiable. Only a significant period of detention would represent adequate punishment.”

In addition to his sentence, Ritchie was placed on the sex offenders register for ten years and issued a sexual prevention order for five years. The order prohibits him from contacting anyone under 16 and requires him to make any electronic devices he owns available to police upon request.