STEPHEN BELL FROM MOSSBANK SENTENCED FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IMAGES IN LEIRWICK

In July 2017, Stephen Bell, a 58-year-old resident of Sandside Road in Mossbank, was sentenced to over four years in prison after being found in possession of an extensive collection of indecent images of children. The court heard that Bell had previously admitted to possessing numerous pornographic photographs depicting minors, with the intent to distribute or show these images to others. His offenses spanned from February 2011 to February of the following year, marking a prolonged period during which he engaged in these criminal activities.

During the proceedings at Lerwick Sheriff Court, it was revealed that Bell’s obsession with pornography, particularly child pornography, was all-consuming. The court described him as being “completely dedicated” to this illicit material, to the extent that he was unable to recognize that every child depicted in his collection was a victim. The prosecutor, Duncan MacKenzie, expressed concern over Bell’s apparent inability to comprehend the gravity of his actions, emphasizing that every image in his possession contained a real victim, a fact Bell seemed to fail to appreciate.

MacKenzie further explained that police had executed a search warrant at Bell’s residence, which turned out to be a highly complex operation. The forensic investigation was described as “extremely challenging” due to the intricate setup of Bell’s digital storage. The search uncovered six hard drives containing the majority of the illicit material, along with an additional 29 hard drives, all filled with tens of thousands of indecent images of children. Among these, more than 5,000 images were classified as “category A,” indicating the most serious type of child exploitation material. Over 7,400 images fell into “category B,” and an astonishing total of over 100,000 images were categorized as “category C.”

The images depicted children of various ages, predominantly between 10 and 16 years old, highlighting the disturbing breadth of Bell’s offending. The search of his home revealed a scene of chaos, with the residence described as “complete disarray,” save for two main areas that appeared habitable. The investigators found towers of hard drives, along with magazines and DVDs containing pornographic and child exploitation material, all indicative of Bell’s obsessive engagement with this dark content.

Defense attorney Tommy Allan acknowledged the repulsive nature of the images involved, but also pointed out that Bell was a social loner, working full-time but allowing his obsession to dominate his life. Allan suggested that Bell’s actions were driven by an uncontrollable compulsion, and that he was aware, at some level, that his behavior would eventually lead to his discovery and arrest. The defense highlighted that Bell had the opportunity to discuss his issues with social workers during the preparation of his case, and that he was fully aware of the impending prison sentence.

Ultimately, Sheriff Philip Mann sentenced Bell to 52 months in prison, equivalent to four years and four months. Additionally, Bell was subjected to a four-month non-custodial extended sentence. The court also issued a sexual offences prevention order, which will restrict and monitor his internet use indefinitely. Furthermore, Bell was placed on the sex offender register for an indefinite period. The sheriff emphasized the severity of the crimes, stating, “This is offending of the most serious kind,” and made it clear that Bell’s actions represented a grave breach of societal norms and laws concerning child exploitation.