JAMES ASCROFT FROM EDNAM AND KELSO FACES SERIOUS CHARGES OVER CHILD PORN AND BESTIALITY VIDEOS

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the local communities of Ednam and Kelso, James Ascroft, a 54-year-old resident of these areas, has been found guilty of possessing a significant amount of indecent images of children as well as videos depicting bestiality. The legal proceedings took place at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, where Ascroft was ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid community service as part of his sentence.

The offences stem from incidents that occurred at his residence, Harpertoun Cottage, near Kelso, in September 2017. The case first came to light when officers from the cyber crime unit received intelligence in December 2016 indicating that a device linked to Ascroft’s home was accessing illegal material. Acting on this information, law enforcement officials conducted a search of his property, during which they seized a total of 40 electronic devices for detailed examination.

During the forensic analysis, investigators uncovered unlawful content on five of these devices. The investigation revealed a disturbing collection of approximately 20,000 pornographic images and videos, of which 136 were classified as illegal under the law. Among these, two images of children were identified as being in the most severe Category A, with an additional two in Category B. Furthermore, a Category C video and 102 images were recovered, highlighting the extent of the illegal material.

In addition to the child exploitation content, authorities discovered 29 videos depicting extreme pornography involving bestiality, which is a serious criminal offense. The hard drives seized from Ascroft’s home were further examined in May of the following year, leading to his arrest. During police interviews, Ascroft chose not to respond to cautions and provided a no-comment interview at Hawick police station.

His legal representative claimed that Ascroft was unaware of how the illegal material came into his possession. The lawyer argued that Ascroft had been downloading lawful content en masse from the internet, and that the unlawful material must have been included inadvertently. The defense also emphasized that Ascroft found the content “abhorrent” and was unaware that possessing bestiality videos was illegal.

In addition to the community service order, Sheriff Donald Ferguson emphasized the seriousness of the case, stating, “This is indeed a serious matter.” Ascroft was also placed under supervision for 24 months and his name was entered onto the Sex Offenders Register for a similar period, reflecting the gravity of his offenses and the need for ongoing monitoring and community safety measures.