Paedophile Gordon Hume, a resident of Beith, who was discovered in possession of more than 100 indecent photos of children, is awaiting his sentence.
Gordon Hume’s collection of disturbing photos encompassed the exploitation of infants as young as one year, stated procurator fiscal depute Alasdair Millar before Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.
The 39-year-old appeared in court on Tuesday, October 22, when he entered a guilty plea to three charges.
Gordon Hume confessed to capturing or allowing the creation of indecent photos, or pseudo-images, of children between December 18, 2020, and April 9, 2023, from his previous residence in Beith.
From the same date until a later time of May 25, last year he admitted to having the indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children in his possession.
A final charge related to Gordon Hume distributing such images between December 4, 2022, and May 20 last year.
The Beith man, now of Montgomery Avenue, came to the attention of Police Scotland after they received information with regards to a ‘Kik Messaging’ account which had been uploading “child sexual abuse images” to the internet, Mr Millar told the court.
Investigations were carried out as a result, with the account later being traced to the home address of Gordon Hume.
A search warrant was then obtained for the property, before being carried out by police in May of last year.
When officers attended, the 39-year-old was found alone within. The warrant was then explained to him before a search of his home was conducted.
Police retrieved a number of items during this, including an iPhone belonging to him which was seized and found to contain child exploitation and abuse images.
As result Gordon Hume was taken to Saltcoats police office and arrested – speaking freely in the interview as he admitted the offence.
Further analysis of the Beith man’s mobile device was then conducted, with a haul of 117 indecent images found thereon.
Of these photographs, 49 were still accessible, with 12 described as category A images, 23 as category B and 14 as category C.
A total of 68 pictures were described as inaccessible, 18 of which were category A, 35 classified as category B and 15 as category C.
A further 16 videos were found on the device, 15 of which were accessible – with 10 described as being category A, four as category B and one as category C. One video was inaccessible and classified as category C.
Category A images or videos involve penetrative sexual activity, category B includes non-penetrative sexual activity and category C involves erotic posing.
The files located on Gordon Hume’s device were described as being stored within the phone’s ‘hidden’ folder.
Further details of some specific images were also described by the prosecution to include “a female baby of around one-year-old” and adults performing sexual acts on children “as young as six”.
While analysis of the device also found that Gordon Hume had been using applications Kik, WhatsApp and Telegram to either send or receive indecent material.
Following his guilty pleas, Gordon Hume’s defence solicitor called for background reports before sentence was determined.
Sheriff Murdoch Mactaggart then deferred sentence to allow these to be prepared, allowing the 39-year-old bail under special conditions until he returns to court at a later date.
Hume was also added to the sex offenders register, with the length of time he spends on this to be determined at sentencing.
UPDATE 20.12.24
Gordon Hume was spared jail at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Tuesday, December 17, in what was described as “very much a narrow decision”.
The 39-year-old returned to the dock this week having previously admitted taking or permitting to be taken indecent images – or pseudo-images – of children between December 18, 2020 and April 9, 2023, from his former home address in Beith.
JUDGE MENTAL SAID:
“These kind of offences routinely reflect in custodial sentence but I am, in this instance, persuaded not to impose a custodial sentence.
“I have to say, however, that this is very much a narrow decision.”
Hume was placed on a community payback order with a supervision requirement for three years.
He must also complete the Moving Forward Making Change programme – aimed at helping those convicted of sexual offences lead a life without harming others.
A final component of the order will see Hume complete 280 hours of unpaid work over the next nine months.
Additionally, he was placed on a restriction of liberty order with a nine-month night-time curfew.
Gordon Hume was also placed on the sex offenders register, and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, for a total of five years.
Sheriff Mactaggart added: “I have to make it clear to you, if you do not complete the community payback order in any respect you are liable to be sentenced to custody and it won’t be for months, it will be for years.
“I take the view that the report indicates that what is required in your case is appropriate intervention in the form of the type of programme I have referred to – to protect the public and children in future.
“To protect the public from future offending is of the highest consideration.”
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