June 2017 Jailed: Paedophile who filmed himself abusing a three-year-old girl A VILE paedophile who filmed himself abusing a three-year-old girl and posted the images online was jailed yesterday for eight years. Hugh Sim, 30, from Renfrew, will be monitored in the community for two years after he is released. Sim was snared after he sent the indecent images to a paedophile chat group in New Zealand. Yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Johnston told Sim: “You were convicted of a catalogue of sexual offending over a two-year-period starting when your victim was three. “You photographed and filmed that abuse which took place many times for your sexual gratification. These images were distributed online and found by police in New Zealand. “The damage you have caused to that little girl is catastrophic and she now has difficulty forming attachments.” Judge Johnston said that Sim had done his best to conceal his actions and added: “Had it not been for the work of the police in this country and the authorities in New Zealand your offences may never have come to light. You have shown no remorse and continue to protest your innocence.” Sim denied that person seen on videos with the young girl was him, but a former lover identified him by his heavyset build and ginger body hair. During a police inquiry in New Zealand into the members of the paedophile chat group it was established that one of the users had logged on from the UK. and an internet search uncovered the subscriber as Sim. Sim was convicted of making and distributing indecent photographs of children and sexually abusing a girl over a two year period from 2013 to 2015 at a house in Renfrew. He was also found guilty of intentionally engaging in sexual activity in the presence of the young girl when she was aged between three and five. Sim was originally charged with raping the girl, but that charge was withdrawn by the Crown. Advocate depute Lisa Gillespie said: “There is no doubt that the images of the girl have been distributed, because they were found by police in New Zealand. So at the very least they must have been distributed there.” In one of the vile films Sim exposes her private parts while she protests and tries to cover herself. The jury also saw numerous images of the girl naked sitting on a toy car and in a kitchen only wearing pink pants. Miss Gillespie said: “These are not innocent snaps of a little girl who happens to be partially undressed or naked. “There is no artistic merit in photographing little girl’s buttocks or genitals while her face isn’t visible, her face has been deliberately cropped off. These are not snapshots for family album.” Sim denied all the charges against him and claimed he was not the person who took the photographs of the girl or abused her. Sim’s young victim was not called on to give evidence. Instead the Crown relied on the vile photographs taken by her abuser to prove their case. Prosecutor Ms Gillespie said: “She can’t come into the witness box and tell us who did these things to her. That is why we had to show these images. “The person who took those images and abused the young girl was the accused. “It is as clear as if she herself had walked into the courtroom and pointed out Sim and said: ‘It was him.’” May 2017 Renfrew paedophile caught after chat room posts A paedophile repeatedly sexually assaulted a toddler over two years at his dingy flat. Hugh Sim, 30, even abused the little girl as she clutched her Iggle Piggle dolly. Sickening films revealed the fiend continued to molest the tot on camera even as she begged “no”. Sim was yesterday found guilty of repeatedly assaulting the tot and making and distributing indecent images during a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Judge Johanna Johnston QC locked him up to protect the public and warned he faces a prison stint. She explained: “You have been convicted of a number of serious sexual offences. “You will be subject to the provisions of the Sex Offenders’ Register. “It is not appropriate for you to be at liberty.” Sim – who started attacking the girl when she was just three – looked shocked as he was handcuffed and led down to the cells. He had originally been charged with raping the girl, but that charge was withdrawn by the Crown. The court earlier heard he made vile photos and movies of the youngster in the living room and toilet of his flat in Renfrew. He was snared after police brought down a social media group used to swap sex abuse images in New Zealand. Pictures and videos recovered showed Sim tugging at the tot’s nightie as she pleads him to stop. In another, she is forced to pout with her finger to her lips. An ex-girlfriend fought back tears as she identified his privates in photographs and movies taken in the flat. She said: “I saw Hugh’s penis and hand. “I know it’s his, I know what his looks like, I was with him for six years.” She insisted a man’s voice heard in the clips belonged to her former partner. But she insisted there was “nothing to give any suspicion” he was abusing the girl between September 2013 and October 2015. Police visited the property during an indecent images probe and recognised the interior from seized material. He said: “She was quite a small child, I would say approximately four or five, with a slim build and fair skin. “When I entered the living room, I immediately identified the wallpaper and decor as being the same as the images I had viewed from New Zealand.” Officers told how the “unkempt” flat was strewn with mountains of clothing, including tracksuit bottoms, boxers and socks worn by the creep when he molested the girl on camera Sim used a black LG smartphone gifted to him by Ms McVey for his birthday three years ago to take some of the photographs and videos. He was arrested after a social media group sharing child sex abuse images was taken down in Christchurch, New Zealand. Paedophile Drew Webb, who was just 18 when he was caught, ran the group and was caught with material linked to the flat in Renfrew. Police raided Sim’s home after internet provider Talk Talk confirmed a unique IP address used to register a Kik Messenger profile found with the pictures originated there. The jury of nine women and six men took around three hours to unanimous convict him on five charges, including sexual assault, forcing the girl into sexual activity and taking and distributing indecent images. He will be sentenced on June 20.