WILLIAM DALGLEISH SHOCKS LOCKERBIE WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN GLASGOW COURT

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Lockerbie, William Dalgleish, a 67-year-old resident of the town, appeared before the High Court in Glasgow to face serious allegations related to child exploitation images. The police had conducted a raid on Dalgleish’s home in Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, in February, uncovering a significant collection of illicit material stored on his electronic devices.

During the court proceedings, Dalgleish admitted to possessing a total of 16,535 indecent images and video clips, which he had downloaded between December 1 of the previous year and February 12 of the current year. The authorities seized his laptop along with two external hard drives, which contained the disturbing content. Prosecutor Paul Kearney revealed that Dalgleish’s interests were explicitly focused on children, with the material depicting minors aged between eight and 14 engaged in sexual acts. The police investigation uncovered 15,665 still images and 870 video clips, with over 700 classified as the most severe category of such material.

Dalgleish’s lawyer, Susan Duff, attempted to explain her client’s actions by suggesting that he was misled by the internet search engine Google. She claimed that Dalgleish believed he would not have committed these offences if such content was not so easily accessible online. Duff stated, “He feels he would not have committed these offences if this information was not so freely available. He feels if companies like Google did not provide access to such sites, he would not have committed the offences.”

Furthermore, Duff indicated that Dalgleish was willing to participate in a sex offenders’ rehabilitation program, acknowledging the need for treatment and monitoring. The court was informed that Dalgleish had a prior conviction from 2001, when he was sentenced to two years in prison for indecent assault and was subsequently placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

In delivering the sentence, Lord Brailsford emphasized the seriousness of the case, stating, “The jail sentence would have been four years, but for your early plea of guilty.” Dalgleish was sentenced to 32 months in prison and was also ordered to undergo four years of community supervision following his release, reflecting the court’s concern for public safety and the rehabilitation of the offender.