Beast sentenced to five years in prison
Convicted of abusing two-year-old girl
An East Kilbride beast who was snared after police linked a ring he was wearing to horrific images of him abusing a two-year-old girl was caged for five years.
Joseph White, 30, will also spend three years on licence when released after Sheriff Marie Smart branded his sick crimes some of the most “heinous” to come before the sheriff court.
The twisted pervert previously admitted repeatedly molesting the youngster and using the messaging service WhatsApp to share warped fantasies about assaulting her with other paedophiles.
He was only stopped when police linked his computer to viewing indecent images of children.
A raid on a property in East Kilbride discovered highly-disturbing images of his abuse and also revealed he had a covert camera operation in place where he recorded various women using a bathroom.
Officers noticed White was wearing the same ring which was visible in the photos and later discovered the clothes the girl had been wearing.
The police probe discovered another young girl had been a victim of sexual advances from White when she was just 11.
White had gone on trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court where he faced a total of eight charges including sexual assaults on the two girls.
A jury took less than an hour to convict him on seven charges between March 2010 and July last year.
White was convicted of three charges of sexual assault, one charge of voyeurism and a charge of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices.
He was also found guilty of two charges of taking and possessing indecent images of children.
At his sentencing, defence QC Graham Robertson told the court White had been a “law-abiding citizen for most of his adult life” but his client fully accepted he would be punished for his crimes.
Mr Robertson added: “My client made approaches to an organisation who are prepared to intervene with people who have difficulties with sexual matters – an initiative he took himself.
“He has also shown a willingness to participate to every and any extent at all in relation to courses or programmes in the prison system to address internal psychological sexual issues that have to be addressed in his own personal make-up.”
But Sheriff Smart said that, given the gravity of the offences, an extended sentence was the only option.
She told White: “You have been convicted of one of the most heinous crimes that can come before this court.
“The crimes were over a seven-year period and while I accept you didn’t challenge evidence in three of the charges, that is hardly surprising given the strength of that evidence.
“The report before me assesses you at being at a high risk of re-offending.
“Given the gravity of your crimes a custodial sentence is the only appropriate sentence.”
Sheriff Smart also placed White on the sex offenders register indefinitely.