DAVID WILSON'S SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE IN ALEXANDRIA

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Alexandria, David Wilson, a 67-year-old resident of Woodside Crescent, narrowly avoided a custodial sentence after admitting to possessing a significant collection of indecent images of children. The offences, which took place at his home between October 15, 2015, and February 17, 2017, came to light after police executed a search warrant on January 16, 2018.

According to court records, officers arrived at Wilson’s residence and were greeted by the defendant himself. When shown the warrant, Wilson reportedly told police, “I have some on my mobile but it’s not porn,” attempting to downplay the severity of his actions. During the search, law enforcement officials seized a Dell computer tower and a USB pen drive, which would later reveal the extent of Wilson’s illicit collection.

Initial examinations of the USB drive uncovered moving images classified as Category A, the most severe level of child exploitation material. Wilson was detained and taken to Greenock police station, where he was interviewed under recorded conditions. Further analysis of the computer revealed 17 still images depicting male and female children aged between nine and 14 years old, all categorized as B or C in severity. The USB drive contained 16 moving images of female children aged between eight and 13, with 11 of these classified as Category A, three as Category B, and two as Category C.

During police interviews, Wilson maintained a dismissive stance, claiming, “I didn’t know I had it,” despite the evidence. His defense lawyer, Tom Brown, argued that Wilson was fit to undertake unpaid community work as an alternative to imprisonment, emphasizing that this would serve as a suitable punishment. Brown also noted that Wilson had not previously been convicted of any similar offences and claimed that Wilson had not been actively seeking child pornography but had simply come into possession of the material.

After considering social background and psychological assessments, Sheriff Simon Pender expressed concern over the nature of the images, particularly the moving images stored on Wilson’s pen drive. Recognizing Wilson’s lack of prior convictions, the sheriff opted for a community-based sentence rather than jail time. Wilson was ordered to complete a 12-month supervision period under social work, during which he would perform 225 hours of unpaid work—reduced from the maximum of 300 hours due to his early plea. Additionally, Wilson was placed on the sex offenders’ register for a year.

In a separate but related incident in November 2018, Wilson attempted to justify his possession of indecent images by claiming he was a “naturist.” Police had previously searched his Alexandria home and found a collection of illicit images stored on his computer and USB drive. Wilson, then aged 57, told officers, “Yes I have looked at pictures of kids. I’m a naturist, but they’re not pornographic,” despite some images being classified as the most serious categories. He also claimed ignorance of the images’ existence, stating, “I didn’t know I had them.”

Wilson appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court, where he admitted to taking, permitting to be taken, or making indecent images of children between October 15, 2014, and February 17, 2017. The court learned that the evidence included 17 still images and 16 moving images of children aged between eight and 14, with severity ranging from Category C to Category A. Prosecutor Joanne Gilmour detailed the police search, which uncovered the images on a computer tower and USB drive, with the most serious images depicting children in provocative poses or worse.

Wilson declined to comment during police interviews but admitted to searching online for transgender and lady-boy photos. The case was adjourned until December 4 for further social work and psychological assessments, and Wilson was placed on the Sex Offenders Register once again, underscoring the seriousness of his offences.