Married former RAF man jailed for 21 months for possessing indecent images of children

A MARRIED 55-year-old man has been jailed for almost two years for taking and possessing indecent images of children.

Former RAF man Andrew Burton, of Lochhill, near Elgin, was sent to prison for 21 months at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Burton, who was in the RAF for 23 years and served with the search and rescue helicopters, took one of the photographs, of a seven-year-old girl with her genitals exposed, himself.

When police arrested first-offender Burton, he told them "that was rather silly of me".

Sentencing him after a background report had been prepared, Sheriff Sara Matheson said: "This involved a gross breach of trust.

"Despite the efforts you have made for your rehabilitation, your previous good character and service to your country, there is no alternative to a prison sentence to deter others."

She described his behaviour as "appalling" and ordered that he remain on the Sex Offender's Register for 10 years.

Defence solicitor Robert Cruickshank said that his client had immediately enrolled for a programme designed to counsel sex offenders.

He said: "He served with the RAF for 23 years and has worked all his life. But he lost his job when this came to light. He retains the support of his wife."

Referring to the taking of the photograph of the child, Mr Cruickshank said: "It was an isolated incident which occurred at a particular low point in his life after a road accident."

Andrew Burton was caught with a “large amount” of indecent images on various devices after police carried out a raid on his Elgin home.

He admitted charges of taking, permitting to be taken or making indecent images of children and possessing indecent images of children.

He also pled guilty to inducing the child to pose with her underwear pulled to one side and her genitals exposed before photographing her. Police were able to identify the child involved in the picture Burton took after further investigation.

Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told the court that police raided Burton’s home on March 21, 2022, after intelligence was received.

The court heard that 19 devices were seized and subsequent examination revealed “a large amount of child sexual abuse material of all ages and categories," Mrs Gair said.

Mrs Gair added: “Police informed the accused that the cybercrime preview examination of the seized devices had been positive for indecent images of children.

“At this, the accused stated: ‘Yes, that was rather silly of me'.”