RITCHARD COOPER FROM KIRKWALL CAUGHT WITH CHILD SEXUAL IMAGES AND VIDEOS

A resident of Kirkwall, Ritchard Cooper, was recently brought into custody after authorities uncovered a disturbing collection of illicit images and videos depicting sexual activities involving children as young as five years old. The incident came to light following a police raid on his residence in Kirkwall on May 14 of the previous year, which was initiated after receiving a credible tip-off.

During the subsequent court proceedings held at the town's Sheriff Court last Wednesday, law enforcement officials revealed that they had seized a total of six electronic devices from Cooper's home. Cooper himself confirmed that these devices belonged to him, raising further concern over the extent of his illegal activities.

Prosecutor Sue Foard detailed the shocking findings, noting that Cooper appeared surprised by the volume of illegal material stored on his devices. She explained that Cooper admitted to occasionally receiving such images and videos, which he deliberately stored in a secured folder to prevent others from viewing them. The prosecutor emphasized the disturbing nature of the content, which included images of children as young as six or seven years old.

One particularly heinous video involved a five-year-old child and an adult male, according to Ms. Foard. The police cybercrime unit uncovered a total of 63 accessible images, with 15 classified as Category B and 48 as Category C. Additionally, there were 179 inaccessible images in Category A, 379 in Category B, and 6,316 in Category C. The accessible videos totaled 43 in Category A, 23 in Category B, and four in Category C, with a combined duration of approximately four hours and forty-five minutes.

Ritchard Cooper pleaded guilty to charges of possessing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children, covering the period from October 4, 2015, to May 14, 2023. He also admitted to taking or allowing the taking of indecent photographs of children between October 4, 2015, and March 17, 2023. However, he entered a plea of not guilty regarding possession of an extremely pornographic image of an adult male engaging in bestiality, a charge which was accepted by the Crown.

The court deferred sentencing until August 14 to allow for a community justice social work report. In the meantime, Cooper was ordered to have his name registered on the sex offenders' register, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing legal process.