Former Oban police officer guilty of child porn charges

A former Oban police officer has pleaded guilty to possessing more than 60 child pornography images and videos, including one of a baby.

Darryl Burnside, 50, of 45 Nant Drive, Oban, admitted possessing indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children at his home address between September 13, 2016, and October 13, 2017.

Procurator fiscal Eoin McGinty told Oban Sheriff Court on Tuesday that, at the time of Burnside’s detention in October 2017, he was a serving police officer in Oban, where he had been working since 1990. He has since retired.

Following intelligence involving a website known by police to be used by those with a sexual interest in children, officers unconnected with Oban and others from the cyber crime unit attended Burnside’s home to execute a search warrant.

They seized a Kindle and a Dragon Touch Tablet and a preliminary investigation, Mr McGinty said, revealed ‘two category C images of female children in their early teens posing in lingerie.

‘The accused was detained and interviewed in Oban police office. During the course of the interview, he admitted being the owner of the electrical items recovered and having used them to access internet sites to look at pornography, including pornography involving teenage girls.’

He made no comment to accessing chat sites.

An analysis of the Kindle uncovered four category C images and three moving images in category A. On the tablet were found 49 images in category C, one image in category B and seven images in category A – the worst in the scale.

Sheriff Patrick Hughes deferred sentencing Burnside for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order until September 12.

He continued his bail and made him subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act.