SCOTT FERRIE CAUGHT IN EDINBURGH AND CURRIE: YOUTH FOOTBALL COACH AND PERVERT SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES
| Red Rose Database
Edinburgh Currie Child Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Currie and Edinburgh, Scott Ferrie, a 29-year-old youth football coach and former school classroom assistant, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for attempting to secretly film a teenage boy in a shower at a local sports facility. The incident took place at the David Lloyd sports centre located on Glasgow Road in Edinburgh in June 2011, where Ferrie was caught in the act by his young victim.
According to court reports, Ferrie had concealed his mobile phone inside a toilet bag, which he tried to insert into a narrow gap at the bottom of the teenager’s shower cubicle in an apparent attempt to record the boy while he was washing himself. The victim, a 13-year-old boy, noticed Ferrie’s suspicious behavior and reported it to authorities. The police responded swiftly and apprehended Ferrie, who was found to have more than 550 illicit images of children on his computer. These images included disturbing photographs of young boys tied up with ropes, highlighting the extent of Ferrie’s disturbing collection.
Ferrie’s background as a coach for Tynecastle FC, a local youth soccer team, and his previous employment as a classroom assistant at Edinburgh’s Firrhill High School, where he supported students aged 12 to 16, have added to the community’s concern. It was also revealed that parents of children involved with Tynecastle FC had previously lodged complaints about Ferrie’s conduct during a club trip to Amsterdam in 2009. During that trip, the team missed a flight back to Scotland, and some guardians expressed fears that their children might have been placed at risk of harm, although Ferrie was not found to have committed any wrongdoing during that incident.
Ferrie was formally charged and pleaded guilty to charges of illegally filming a minor and possessing indecent images of children. The court heard that no footage from the pool incident was recovered, but the evidence of his possession of child pornography was substantial. Sheriff Paul Arthurson QC, in delivering the sentence, ordered Ferrie to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and prohibited him from working with children ever again. The judge emphasized the importance of societal disapproval for such crimes, stating, “In order to reflect society’s disapproval with these crimes, I can only impose a custodial sentence on you.”
During the sentencing hearing, Ferrie’s solicitor, Graeme Runcie, argued that his client was a first-time offender who recognized the wrongfulness of his actions. Runcie also mentioned that Ferrie had previously been involved in a social incident during the 2009 Amsterdam trip, where he took children for pizza, but insisted that Ferrie had done nothing to harm the children and that they had not been at risk of sexual assault. Runcie highlighted a social work report indicating Ferrie was at low risk of re-offending and pleaded with the court for leniency.
Despite these pleas, Sheriff Arthurson maintained that the only appropriate sentence was incarceration, citing the gravity of the offences and Ferrie’s guilty plea. The judge acknowledged Ferrie’s status as a first offender but concluded that a custodial sentence was necessary to uphold justice and societal standards. Ferrie’s actions have left a lasting stain on his reputation and have caused significant concern among parents and community members in Currie and Edinburgh alike.
According to court reports, Ferrie had concealed his mobile phone inside a toilet bag, which he tried to insert into a narrow gap at the bottom of the teenager’s shower cubicle in an apparent attempt to record the boy while he was washing himself. The victim, a 13-year-old boy, noticed Ferrie’s suspicious behavior and reported it to authorities. The police responded swiftly and apprehended Ferrie, who was found to have more than 550 illicit images of children on his computer. These images included disturbing photographs of young boys tied up with ropes, highlighting the extent of Ferrie’s disturbing collection.
Ferrie’s background as a coach for Tynecastle FC, a local youth soccer team, and his previous employment as a classroom assistant at Edinburgh’s Firrhill High School, where he supported students aged 12 to 16, have added to the community’s concern. It was also revealed that parents of children involved with Tynecastle FC had previously lodged complaints about Ferrie’s conduct during a club trip to Amsterdam in 2009. During that trip, the team missed a flight back to Scotland, and some guardians expressed fears that their children might have been placed at risk of harm, although Ferrie was not found to have committed any wrongdoing during that incident.
Ferrie was formally charged and pleaded guilty to charges of illegally filming a minor and possessing indecent images of children. The court heard that no footage from the pool incident was recovered, but the evidence of his possession of child pornography was substantial. Sheriff Paul Arthurson QC, in delivering the sentence, ordered Ferrie to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and prohibited him from working with children ever again. The judge emphasized the importance of societal disapproval for such crimes, stating, “In order to reflect society’s disapproval with these crimes, I can only impose a custodial sentence on you.”
During the sentencing hearing, Ferrie’s solicitor, Graeme Runcie, argued that his client was a first-time offender who recognized the wrongfulness of his actions. Runcie also mentioned that Ferrie had previously been involved in a social incident during the 2009 Amsterdam trip, where he took children for pizza, but insisted that Ferrie had done nothing to harm the children and that they had not been at risk of sexual assault. Runcie highlighted a social work report indicating Ferrie was at low risk of re-offending and pleaded with the court for leniency.
Despite these pleas, Sheriff Arthurson maintained that the only appropriate sentence was incarceration, citing the gravity of the offences and Ferrie’s guilty plea. The judge acknowledged Ferrie’s status as a first offender but concluded that a custodial sentence was necessary to uphold justice and societal standards. Ferrie’s actions have left a lasting stain on his reputation and have caused significant concern among parents and community members in Currie and Edinburgh alike.