SCOTT SHEARER OF CUMBERNAULD AVOIDS JAIL TIME AFTER GUILTY PLEAS OVER INDECENT IMAGES

In October 2017, Cumbernauld resident Scott Shearer, aged 46, narrowly escaped a jail sentence after admitting to possessing over 5,000 indecent images of children. Shearer, a first-time offender from Craigmarloch, pleaded guilty at Airdrie Sheriff Court to two serious charges. The offences took place between November 7, 2015, and November 15, 2016. The case came to light after police responded to a tip-off indicating that indecent imagery was being downloaded at his home.

Prosecutor Agnes Meek detailed that police found Shearer's iPad and PC contained a total of 5,339 images, including both stills and videos. Some photographs depicted girls as young as eight years old engaging in sexual acts with men. Sheriff Derek O’Carroll, in his sentencing, commented: “I can only just deal with this without imposing a custodial sentence, but the sentence will not be an easy one.” As part of his punishment, Shearer was sentenced to two years of supervised release, mandated to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, and was fitted with an electronic tag that required him to stay at home from 8pm to 6am for the next eight months. Additionally, access to the internet was prohibited, and he was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Earlier in September 2017, Shearer faced similar allegations when police revealed he was caught with more than 5,000 indecent images at his residence. During that time, he also admitted to taking, permitting the taking of, or making indecent images of children at his home over more than a year—including the period from November 2015 to November 2016. Prosecutor Agnes Meek explained that police had received information on November 3, 2016, about indecent images being downloaded from his residence, prompting a search warrant issued by Airdrie Sheriff Court.

When detectives arrived at Shearer's home early in the morning, he was present and cooperated as officers seized a Sony mobile phone and an iPad mini. Examination of these devices revealed the presence of numerous indecent images of children, some classified as the worst possible category, including pictures of girls aged eight, nine, and twelve engaged in sexual activities with adult males. Shearer also faces a separate charge for possessing extreme pornography depicting a woman performing sex acts on dogs, which he denies, with his plea accepted by the Crown. His trial for this charge was scheduled, and sheriff O’Carroll deferred sentencing until October 25, 2017, emphasizing that all legal options, including the possibility of imprisonment, remain open.

Shearer was released on bail with strict conditions, such as a ban on Internet access, including via his mobile phone. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely, with the exact duration pending when he is sentenced. Throughout the hearing, Shearer remained silent, showed no emotion, and refused to comment as he left the court. It was noted that he has since relocated from his previous address.