WILLIAM MCKIRDY SENTENCED IN KILMARNOCK FOR CHILD ABUSE AND INTERNET PERVERSION

In November 1998, a disturbing case unfolded in Kilmarnock involving William McKirdy, a 31-year-old bus driver whose actions have shocked the local community and beyond. McKirdy was convicted of a series of heinous crimes related to the exploitation and abuse of young girls, with his activities centered around his residence on Knockinlaw Road in Kilmarnock.

McKirdy’s criminal behavior was driven by a disturbing obsession with child abuse images stored on his computer, which contained an alarming collection of approximately 26,000 illicit images. His depraved actions included luring young girls into his home, where he would manipulate them with alcohol and drugs before subjecting them to further abuse. One particularly egregious incident involved him engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl in the presence of a nine-year-old girl, an act that underscores the severity of his misconduct.

The court heard that McKirdy admitted to seven charges involving young girls, most of which took place at his home between August of the previous year and January of the current year. Among these charges were two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with the 14-year-old girl and the creation of indecent 'pseudo-images' by superimposing the faces of three girls onto obscene pictures. His plea of not guilty to a charge related to the distribution of indecent pseudo-photographs was accepted by the Crown.

The investigation was triggered on January 30, 1998, when police responded to reports that McKirdy was supplying alcohol to underage girls. Upon entering his home, officers discovered two girls, aged nine and 14, sitting on the floor of an upstairs bedroom that was unfurnished. The officers detected the smell of alcohol on the 14-year-old girl’s breath and also identified a strong scent of cannabis. When McKirdy opened a drawer to hand over a piece of cannabis resin, the police observed a sex aid and a pornographic picture, further revealing his disturbing activities.

Additional evidence included a polaroid camera, girls’ swimsuits, and bottles of 'poppers.' During the search, McKirdy handed over eight floppy disks containing indecent images and a CD-ROM with pornography downloaded from the Internet, depicting young girls performing sexual acts. The police analysis revealed that his computer’s hard disk and the CD-ROM contained over 26,000 pornographic images, some involving animals, although it was unclear which images had been shown to the children.

It was also revealed that McKirdy’s descent into this depravity appeared to have begun after his wife left him around August 1997. He reportedly introduced one of the girls to the Internet, explaining that it could be used to communicate with people worldwide, which piqued her curiosity. This led to a situation where five girls, aged between nine and 14, would visit his house regularly. The court was informed of the extent of his disturbing collection and the serious nature of his crimes, which have left a lasting impact on the victims and the community of Kilmarnock.