PETER BONIFACE CAUGHT IN EDINBURGH HOTEL SCANDAL AT DUNBAR LEISURE CENTRE

In a disturbing incident that has shocked the local community, Peter Boniface, a hotel worker from Edinburgh, was caught engaging in highly inappropriate and illegal behavior at the Dunbar Leisure Centre in East Lothian in 2022. The incident came to light when a staff member at the leisure centre observed Boniface leaning over a cubicle, seemingly taking photographs of a young child who was in the process of getting dressed after swimming.

The child, who was only seven years old, was at the facility with their family on August 20, 2022. According to reports presented at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Boniface was seen loitering in the vicinity of the changing area while fully dressed and holding a mobile phone. A witness, who noticed Boniface’s suspicious behavior, observed him peering over the top of the cubicle with his phone in hand and promptly reported the matter to a staff member.

Following the report, the staff member confronted Boniface, who was identified as a 21-year-old employee working as a housekeeper at a luxury hotel in the Scottish Borders. The staff member then immediately contacted the police to report the incident. Law enforcement officers responded swiftly to the scene and took Boniface into custody. During the subsequent investigation, police conducted a search of Boniface’s former residence in Kelso, located in the Scottish Borders, where they uncovered multiple devices containing child abuse images and videos. These materials depicted children aged between five and 14 years old being subjected to sexual abuse by adults.

At the court hearing, it was revealed that the child involved in the incident at Dunbar Leisure Centre was unaware of Boniface’s actions. The police described Boniface as appearing extremely nervous and physically shaking when they arrived at the scene. During questioning, Boniface admitted to officers that he had been viewing children online and that the temptation had become too strong while he was at the pool. He further confessed to having a problematic online history, which included contact with other men and requests for images of young boys to be sent to him.

Authorities confiscated Boniface’s mobile phone and recovered two additional devices from his home. The forensic analysis uncovered a total of 36 images and videos depicting children aged between five and 14 being sexually abused by adults. The evidence also indicated that Boniface had been in contact with other individuals online, exchanging messages and requesting further inappropriate images.

Legal representatives for Boniface, including defense attorney Mark Harrower, stated that his client had been diagnosed with ADHD and autism in 2023. He also mentioned that Boniface was actively engaging with the organization Stop It Now, which specializes in addressing sex offender issues. Despite these efforts, the court took a serious view of the case. Sheriff Thomson ordered Boniface to be placed on the sex offenders register on an interim basis and deferred sentencing to allow for social work reports to be prepared.

On Thursday, Boniface appeared before Edinburgh Sheriff Court, where he pleaded guilty to multiple charges. These included taking or permitting the taking of indecent images of children between January 1 and August 20, 2022, as well as attempting to or actually taking photographs of the seven-year-old child during a private act at Dunbar Leisure Centre in East Lothian on August 20, 2022. The case has sent shockwaves through the community, highlighting the ongoing need for vigilance and protective measures against such heinous crimes.