Hamilton man (56) denies child porn allegations

Feb 4 2010 Hamilton Advertiser

THE trial of a Hamilton man accused of taking indecent pictures of young girl with learning difficulties started at the town’s sheriff court this week.

Peter King Paton is alleged to have possessed indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children between August 16, 2002, and October 10, 2007.

The 56-year-old is also accused of taking, or allowing the taking of, indecent photographs of children between June 18, 1994, and June 17, 2002. Paton denies both charges.

The court was told how Paton, of Mayfield Road, met his alleged victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons - through her mother’s attendance at a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He was then alleged to have taken indecent photographs of the girl who was said to have been 10 or 11 years old at the time and had learning difficulties.

The photographs were said to have been taken in a loft at Paton’s home while he was baby-sitting the girl.

The court also heard Crown evidence that discs containing 42 indecent images of children and religious texts were found in the accused’s home.

Questioned by fiscal depute Louise Beattie, the alleged victim, now in her early 20s, told the court that Paton had been helpful to her as a child and assisted with her school work.

She told the court that she visited the accused’s house at least once a week for a number of years from the age of eight.

It is there, she alleges, the photography sessions took place over a three-year period in the loft conversion.

She told the court that Paton had said she could earn money by posing for pictures, but said she never saw the final productions nor received any money.

However, when asked by defence solicitor Gerry Devanney why she did not tell anyone about the alleged photo shoots, she said: “He told me I could get into trouble for it, and that the pictures could be used against me.

“I knew what he was doing was wrong somehow, but I was terrified of getting into trouble.”

Mr Devanney then suggested that later the victim had asked for money from Paton when she was staying with her new-born daughter in a single mothers’ unit, which she denied.

She also denied falling out with Paton over money after a business venture involving the accused, her mother and herself failed to get off the ground.

She said: “I don’t know about that. This story is very, very true. I swear on my daughter’s life.”

The court also heard evidence from the alleged victim’s mother.

She told Ms Beattie that a small, blurred picture found on a disc in Paton’s home had been shown to her by investigating officers in July 2008.

She said she was “90 per cent sure” it was her daughter.

However, when questioned by Mr Devanney, she admitted it was difficult to make out the photo, but added it was definitely her daughter or the alleged victim’s sister.

Andrew Calman, an expert witness for the Crown, told the court that he examined two CD ROMs discovered by police in the accused’s home in 2007.

On the discs, he explained to Ms Beattie, he found folders containing 42 “thumbnail” pictures, which he said were indecent images of children.

He added that they were of a female, sometimes naked, and appeared to have been taken in two separate locations.

Mr Calman also stated that the pictures ranged in severity from erotic posing to performing solo sex acts.

While Mr Calman was unable to say who put the files on the discs, but stated that the CD ROMs contained other documents, including religious texts and scriptures, that were authored by Peter Paton.

The trial was continuing yesterday (Wednesday) as the Advertiser went to press.