A notably hazardous Scotland Paedophile, John Johnstone, has been prohibited from utilising dating applications for the next 15 years to safeguard potential victims.
Predatory paedophile John Johnstone was sentenced to 30 months in prison and registered as a lifelong sex offender at Dundee Sheriff Court. A stringent Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed on John Johnstone for 15 years, prohibiting the use of social media platforms and dating websites.
John Johnstone, who constructed a concealed lair behind a fireplace in his residence as the focal point of his sexual offences, was characterised as “extremely high risk.” He confessed that from 17 May to 28 July 2020, he deliberately compelled a 14-year-old boy to see pornographic photographs by transmitting child abuse material to him.
He confessed that from 21 May to 27 July 2020, he compelled the same youngster to engage in sexual behaviour by coercing him to transmit images of his genitals to Johnstone.
Sheriff Paul Brown stated: “This is a case of grave sexual misconduct, set against a history of comparable offences.” There is a certain degree of overlap with the prior offence.
It seems evident to me that this is a separate issue that entails a higher level of accountability and damage. Custody is the sole option available. I believe that to safeguard the public from significant sexual harm, it is necessary to impose a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
The SOPO imposes stringent restrictions on Johnstone’s internet activities and prohibits any unsupervised contact with individuals under 18 years of age. Sheriff Brown prohibited John Johnstone from utilising social networks until after his 60th birthday and forbade him from engaging in “any hobbies” that could potentially include interactions with youngsters.
Counsel Iain Smith, in defence, stated: “He is evaluated as being at an exceedingly high risk of subsequent sexual offences.” The elevated level, according to the social worker’s assessment, signifies a persistent behavioural pattern for remedial intervention.
The individual associated with the dark web had already been incarcerated for 40 months in 2021 after recording himself perpetrating abuse against a young girl and thereafter disseminating the footage to other paedophiles. Sheriff Alistair Carmichael characterised John Johnstone as “a dedicated consumer and producer of indecent images of children.”
Farm worker John Johnstone constructed a concealed hideaway behind a fireplace to conceal his abhorrent collection of child pornography and utilised the dark web to disseminate the content globally. Evil John Johnstone boasted to social services that he had inflicted no “actual harm” on the girl since she was asleep during the abuse.
Sheriff Carmichael additionally enrolled him on the Sex Offenders Register for life and imposed a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) upon him. The duration has now been tripled.
The sheriff stated: “You made considerable efforts to conceal computers and frequently altered SIM cards, presumably to avoid detection of your activities.” You utilised the dark web and deployed an advanced software suite to support such activity.
“It appears that you are a dedicated creator and consumer of illicit images of minors, and I perceive no option other than a prison sentence.”
Defending solicitor Sarah Russo stated, “He expresses profound remorse for his actions.” He asserts in the report that he was not inflicting any physical injury on the child since they were asleep.
John Johnstone, 45, photographed himself engaging in sexual actions and posing with sex items alongside a sleeping four-year-old girl. He subsequently uploaded them to paedophile websites on the dark web and solicited others to reciprocate with comparable content.
The court was informed that he meticulously searched Facebook and several social media platforms to amass over 400 photographs of a young girl with whom he was acquainted and fixated on. The perverse labourer was apprehended with horrific animal pornography and hundreds of child pornography photographs, having placed a child’s head onto a woman’s body in an explicit sexual depiction.
Detective Chief Inspector Richie Banks, of Police Scotland’s National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, stated: “John Johnstone is a perilous and predatory individual whose extensive concealed criminal conduct over several years indicates he posed a threat to children not only in Scotland but globally.”
Online perpetrators may believe they are anonymous and may not understand the severe, detrimental, and enduring effects their acts have on children.
However, their behaviours are inexcusable. Online photographs of child abuse and exploitation are not merely virtual; they depict the actual abuse of a real child.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.