GRAHAM TAYLOR FROM COUPAR ANGUS ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE CHILD SEX IMAGE CHARGES IN PERTHSHIRE

Graham Taylor, a resident of Coupar Angus, narrowly avoided imprisonment after facing serious allegations related to child exploitation images. The 55-year-old man was found to possess nearly 40 minutes of disturbing footage featuring young girls as young as 12 on his mobile device.

The incident came to light when police officers executed a search warrant at his residence on George Street. During the raid, Taylor handed over his phone voluntarily, stating to the officers, “It’s all down to me. Some stuff online. You’ll only find anything on my phone.”

Lawyers representing Taylor attempted to have the charges dismissed, arguing that the police had failed to follow proper procedures during their search. They claimed that officers instructed Taylor’s wife to contact him at his place of work and tell him to return home, allegedly without revealing details of the ongoing investigation.

However, during a trial within a trial at Perth Sheriff Court, police confirmed that they had directly contacted Taylor, not his wife, to inform him of the search. Taylor subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges after this evidence was presented. The court proceedings included a separate test of the evidence, which confirmed the police’s account.

Following the guilty plea, Taylor appeared in court again on Monday for sentencing. His legal representative expressed remorse, stating, “He is overwhelmed by shame and he has spent time reflecting on his actions.”

The court was informed that Taylor had been making progress on a rehabilitation program called Stop It Now, aimed at sex offenders. His solicitor highlighted that Taylor had begun to understand the impact of his actions on the victims and acknowledged that these crimes are not victimless.

“Throughout this process, he has realized the harm caused and does not wish to repeat these offences,” the lawyer added. While the possibility of custodial sentence was acknowledged, the defense suggested that an alternative form of punishment might be more appropriate.

As a consequence of his conviction, Taylor lost his employment. Sheriff James Hastie addressed him directly, saying, “You have taken account of the offence in terms of realising that your behaviour is inappropriate and that there are victims in this case – although you didn’t realize that at the time.” The sheriff also emphasized that such behaviour fuels demand for illegal imagery.

In mitigation, Taylor stated that he had ceased viewing pornography entirely. The court imposed a two-year supervision order, mandated 200 hours of unpaid community service, and required him to remain on the Sex Offenders Register for the same period.

The court detailed that the two videos recovered from Taylor’s phone depicted girls aged between 12 and 15 in “erotic poses.” These videos, totaling 36 minutes, were classified at the second highest level on the court’s obscenity scale.

Taylor was charged with taking or permitting the taking of indecent photographs of children at his home between March 11 and November 28, 2020. He admitted to both charges, including possession of the images, which were found during the police search.