RICHARD HOWARD FROM CATRINE, IRVINE, AND KILMARNOCK CAUGHT WORKING IN SCOTS FAMILY RESTAURANT DESPITE PAEDOPHILE PAST

In a disturbing development that has sparked outrage across Ayrshire, customers at a popular family restaurant in Kilmarnock were left appalled upon discovering that Richard Howard, a convicted paedophile with ties to Catrine and Irvine, was employed at the establishment. Howard, whose criminal history includes a severe conviction for possessing and sharing indecent images of children, was working at the newly opened Beijing Banquet on Queen's Drive, a family-oriented buffet that emphasizes providing a 'family experience' as stated on their website.

Howard's past is deeply troubling. In 2017, he was sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges related to child exploitation. The charges included making indecent images of children, possessing such images, and having them with the intent to distribute or show to others. Sheriff Alistair Watson also mandated that Howard be registered on the sex offenders' register for life and imposed a sexual offences prevention order for five years.

Howard, who previously called himself 'Nappyhead' in online chatrooms, was found to have accumulated a total of 1,513 illegal images, including 162 still photographs and 92 videos, many of which were classified as the most severe category of abuse. His criminal activities spanned addresses in Robertson Place, Kilmarnock, and Dickson Drive, Irvine, between April 2013 and November of the previous year. Despite his criminal record, Howard had been working at the Beijing Banquet, which prides itself on a family-friendly environment, since its recent opening earlier this month.

Following the revelation, the restaurant's owner, Rui Lin, confirmed that Howard was immediately dismissed from his position after the staff learned of his past. The incident came to light after a concerned diner noticed Howard working at the restaurant and promptly alerted the management. In response, the restaurant's Facebook page was swiftly taken down, and social media users expressed their outrage, praising the restaurant for taking swift action.

Rui Lin explained that Howard was employed as a dishwasher and did not have direct contact with customers. He stated, “Richard is not working here any more and he won’t be back. He was sacked by my manager Daniel who did the recruitment. This was brought to our attention last night [Tuesday], and some people saw the article online. He was just helping out in the kitchen as a dishwasher and he wasn’t dealing with members of the public. I’m not sure how long he’s worked there, and we will investigate this matter.”

Howard's criminal history is extensive. In 2017, he was caught with over 1,500 illegal images, including some of the most extreme forms of child abuse. The court heard that he had been actively searching for such images for around three years and had visited chatrooms where users shared and discussed illegal content. His online alias, ‘Nappyhead,’ was well known in these circles. The police seized his Samsung mobile phone, which contained evidence of his viewing and downloading of images depicting the abuse of children under the age of three.

During his arrest, Howard admitted to being addicted to child sexual abuse images and claimed that he was solely responsible for the illegal content found on his devices. The court was told that he had committed these offences at his addresses in Kilmarnock and Irvine. Despite the severity of his crimes, there was no evidence to suggest he was involved in producing the images himself, but he was actively involved in searching for and downloading them.

In court, Sheriff Alistair Watson expressed concern over the nature of Howard’s offences, emphasizing the specific and deliberate search for images of very young children being abused. The sheriff warned Howard that a custodial sentence was likely, considering the gravity of his actions. When Howard appeared before the court again to learn his fate, he showed no emotion as he was led away to begin his 14-month prison term. The sheriff also ordered that Howard be supervised by social workers for two years after his release, placed on the sex offenders' register for life, and subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for five years, restricting his freedoms during that period.

Howard, who has grown his hair long and now sports a beard, was seen carrying a bag as he was taken into custody, seemingly expecting to be jailed. His case has reignited debates about the safety of employing individuals with such criminal backgrounds in public-facing roles, especially in environments frequented by families and children.