SHOCKING CRIME BY ROBERT MALANEY IN BARRHEAD: PREDATOR'S CHILD EXPLOITATION REVEALED

In July 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Robert Malaney, a pensioner from Barrhead, who engaged in a prolonged and heinous campaign of child exploitation. Over a span of seven years, Malaney used a covertly hidden camera concealed within a shopping basket to secretly film young children in public spaces, including supermarkets and shopping centres, capturing inappropriate footage of their private areas.

His vile activities came to light after authorities received a tip-off from child protection officers, prompting a police raid on his residence in Barrhead. During the search, law enforcement officials uncovered a horrifying collection of more than 8,000 indecent images depicting the sexual exploitation of children. These images were stored across various devices, including a Lenovo laptop, multiple computer hard drives, a USB stick, and eight SD cards stored in a blue tub. Cybercrime experts analyzed these devices and confirmed the presence of 4 Category A, 26 Category B, and a staggering 8,285 Category C images, all related to child sexual abuse.

Further investigation revealed that Malaney had been actively sharing these illicit images on a notorious paedophile website registered in Russia. The prosecutor, Ed Sheeran, detailed that the police executed the raid on October 2 of the previous year after gathering intelligence that Malaney was involved in online distribution of indecent images. When confronted, Malaney reportedly placed his hands on his head as officers read him his rights.

During the search, authorities discovered several items linked to his offending, including a Lenovo laptop, multiple hard drives, a USB stick, and SD cards. Cyber experts found evidence of covert recordings, including 14 videos recorded by Malaney himself, which featured young girls. These recordings were made in various public locations such as supermarkets and shopping centres, with some footage taken from a low angle using a camera hidden in a shopping basket. One particular incident from August 9, 2016, involved a camera capturing a girl aged between eight and twelve from beneath her skirt, with images showing her underwear. The footage revealed Malaney trailing the girl, making multiple attempts to record her secretly.

Additional recordings depicted another young girl, whose age was not specified, in a supermarket, where Malaney again captured 'up skirt' footage of her underwear. The prosecutor explained that thousands of these images had been edited together to resemble a video, further illustrating the extent of his disturbing activities. One video even included Malaney’s voice as he secretly filmed a girl in Barrhead, with the camera capturing her underwear beneath her skirt.

It was also established that Malaney had created 'first generation' images, which are original photographs depicting the sexual exploitation of children. These images were hosted on various websites abroad, including Russia, where they could be uploaded and downloaded by users. One such website was identified as being under international criminal investigation due to its role in facilitating the distribution of these illicit images.

Malaney, aged 76, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including creating indecent images of children between March 2013 and September 2020. He admitted to filming children covertly at locations such as Dobbie’s Garden Centre in Paisley, Glasgow Central Station, and various sites in Barrhead, from April 2013 through September 2019. His guilty plea also covered operating equipment to record footage of a child in Barrhead in August 2016.

His legal representative confirmed Malaney’s admission of guilt but requested a delay in mitigation until background reports could be prepared for sentencing. Sheriff Mark Thorley, presiding over the case, placed Malaney on the Sex Offenders’ Register and released him on bail pending further reports. The court also considered imposing a Sexual Offence Prevention Order (SOPO) to protect the public, which would be decided at a future hearing scheduled for August.