The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Sheriff dismisses bid to cut paedophile student’s sentence
Social workers argued regular meetings were ‘inconvenient’
Social workers tried to cut short a paedophile student’s sentence because it was “inconvenient” for him.
Staff from the Criminal Justice Services team in Perth launched a bid to reduce the sentence a sheriff imposed on Euan Mcgrath for distributing child abuse images.
The local authority staff petitioned Perth Sheriff Court to let Strathclyde University student Mcgrath finish his sentence early.
It is understood social workers argued it was “inconvenient” for the chemistry student to travel back to Perth for regular scheduled meetings with them.
However, a sheriff dismissed the controversial bid and said cutting the sentence to make life easier for Mcgrath would give the public the wrong impression.
Mcgrath, 19, of Perth was allowed to walk free from the court in July last year despite swapping images with other paedophiles while studying for his final school exams.
He admitted distributing images between August 1 and September 16
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With all due respectto Criminal Justice Services and whoever compiled this report, there is a perception element to this. SHERIFF LINDSAY FOULIS
2014 and possessing them until April 10 2015.
Mcgrath, who was 16 when he exchanged selfies before distributing the illegal material, was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.
Mcgrath told police in April 2015 what he had been doing but was allowed to take part in the Perth Academy World Challenge Expedition to Ecuador two months later.
The teenager was placed on the sex offenders register.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: “With all due respect to Criminal Justice Services and whoever compiled this report, there is a perception element to this.
“It may well cause him an element of ‘inconvenience’ but it was a very serious matter and I am not prepared to grant this.
“I do appreciate he is doing well on the order and that this petition did not come from him. I will refuse the application made by Criminal Justice Services.”
During a search of his property, Mcgrath told police: “I knew this was coming. There were images on my laptop but I deleted them.”
His solicitor David Holmes, told the court Mcgrath had become involved with other people he believed were of a similar age and had exchanged personal photos with them.
He said that led to the teenager exchanging extreme images.
“The reality was that he had no idea who was at the other end,” he added.