JOSEPH MCNAUGHTON FROM EAST KILBRIDE ESCAPES JAIL AFTER SECOND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSE

In a series of troubling incidents spanning several years, Joseph McNaughton, a resident of East Kilbride, has repeatedly come under scrutiny for his involvement with child pornography and indecent images. Despite his criminal history, he has managed to avoid lengthy imprisonment on multiple occasions, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the justice system in deterring such offenses.

In April 2019, McNaughton, aged 27, appeared before Hamilton Sheriff Court after police discovered an indecent image of a child at his residence in Ivanhoe, Calderwood, East Kilbride. The image depicted a girl believed to be between five and eight years old. At the time of the discovery, McNaughton was under supervision following a previous conviction. He admitted to downloading the illicit image on October 18 of the previous year. His defense team emphasized that McNaughton recognized the gravity of his actions and was attempting to rebuild his life outside of custody.

Sheriff Thomas Millar imposed a three-year supervision order, explicitly forbidding any unsupervised contact with children under 17. Additionally, McNaughton was required to make all devices capable of internet access available for inspection at any time and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for three years. Sheriff Millar acknowledged McNaughton’s apparent understanding of the harm caused by his behavior, stating, “Unlike some others, you fully recognise the harm that can be caused by your behaviour. You have not sought to minimise matters. You complied with the previous order and seem to have been making a life for yourself outside custody. I hope you can do so.”

Prior to this, in February 2019, McNaughton was caught with an indecent image of a child on his laptop during a routine police visit to his East Kilbride home. This incident occurred just two days after he was released on bail for another matter. The police, aware of his previous convictions and ongoing supervision, conducted the visit to monitor his online activity. The image, again, depicted a girl estimated to be between five and eight years old. Following his arrest, McNaughton appeared in court, where he admitted to downloading the image. He was remanded in custody and later sentenced to three years in prison in 2011 for lewd, indecent, and libidinous behavior.

Further back, in December 2016, McNaughton was found with multiple indecent images of children at his East Kilbride residence. Police officers, during a routine visit, obtained permission to examine his iPhone, revealing four images of male children—two classified as Category B and two as Category C. The images were easily accessible on his device. At that time, McNaughton was already under a three-year supervision order following his 2011 conviction. Despite the seriousness of the offense, Sheriff Ray Small sentenced him to a community payback order with three years’ supervision, citing the relatively low number of images and his previous offending history. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for three years, with a review scheduled for June 7, 2017.

Throughout these incidents, McNaughton’s repeated offenses highlight ongoing concerns about the adequacy of legal measures in preventing reoffending among sex offenders. His case underscores the importance of rigorous monitoring and the challenges faced in rehabilitating individuals with a history of sexual misconduct involving minors.