GREENOCK SEX OFFENDER ROBERT MCNAB/AITMAN'S HORRIFIC CRIMES OF BESTIALITY AND CHILD ABUSE REVEALED

In a series of disturbing revelations at Greenock Sheriff Court, Robert McNab, also known as Robert Aitman, faced the grim reality of his criminal actions involving the possession and distribution of extreme and illegal pornography, including images depicting bestiality and child abuse. The court proceedings shed light on a pattern of depravity that has spanned several years, with McNab’s activities continuing even after previous convictions and incarcerations.

McNab, a known sex offender with a history of heinous crimes, was found to have hoarded a significant collection of illegal images on a mobile device hidden beneath a pillow in his homeless flat in Greenock, Inverclyde. The discovery was made when a diligent cleaner, during a routine check, located the device and handed it over to the police. This mobile phone contained a total of 579 images related to bestiality, with 74 accessible and 505 deleted, downloaded between May 7 and 22, 2020. The images depicted sexual acts between humans and animals, constituting a serious breach of the law.

Prosecutor Claire Rowan explained that the device was found during a police search of McNab’s residence, and the images were retrieved during the investigation. The court was told that McNab had been actively downloading such material while on a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which he had broken by using a mobile phone he had not disclosed to authorities. The court heard that McNab’s criminal behavior was not new; he had previously been convicted in 2017 for hoarding child abuse images for nearly a decade and sharing them online with other offenders. Sheriff Derek Hamilton, at that time, described his actions as particularly heinous, emphasizing the risk he posed to the public.

In the 2017 case, McNab was sentenced to 59 months in prison after being found with a vast collection of child abuse images, including videos of children up to 14 years old being sexually exploited. During that hearing, Sheriff Hamilton highlighted McNab’s disturbing desire to have a child with a stranger so he could then rape the child, a revelation that underscored the severity of his deviant interests. The court also noted his hostility towards women, impulsive tendencies, and lack of concern for others, all of which contributed to the assessment that the public was at significant risk.

Fast forward to January 2021, McNab, now 34, was remanded in custody once again after being caught with hundreds of images of animals engaged in sexual acts. His activities resumed immediately after his release from prison, with the illegal material stored on a mobile device he managed to hide from monitoring authorities. The device was discovered when a cleaner found it concealed in his bedding and handed it over to police. The investigation revealed that between May 7 and 22, 2020, McNab had downloaded 579 images, 74 of which were accessible, while the rest had been deleted. The images depicted bestiality, a serious criminal offense.

During the court session, McNab pleaded guilty to possessing “extreme pornographic images” and breaching his SOPO by using a mobile phone he had not disclosed. Sheriff Joseph Hughes ordered background reports to be prepared and remanded McNab in custody until the next hearing. The court’s proceedings underscored the ongoing danger posed by McNab, who has a long history of sexual offenses involving both children and animals.

His previous convictions include a 2017 sentence of 35 months for hoarding child abuse images and sharing them online, as well as a prior conviction for sexually assaulting a young girl. During that period, he also engaged in online chats using fake names on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Kik, where he expressed his disturbing fantasies, including the desire to have a child with a stranger so he could then abuse it. Sheriff Derek Hamilton, at that time, described his actions as particularly heinous and emphasized the risk he posed to society.

In July 2017, McNab, then 30, was sentenced to three years in prison but was released early after winning an appeal that reduced his sentence to 35 months, backdated to his initial remand date. Despite his release, he remains on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and is subject to monitoring. His case continues to serve as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by individuals with such deviant and violent tendencies, especially those who persist in reoffending despite previous convictions and incarcerations.