Government worker Christopher Black jailed over child sex abuse images

Jun 9 2011 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

A TWISTED paedophile caught with more than 2000 horrific images and films of child sex abuse has been jailed for nearly two years.

Christopher Black (29) was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment at Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday.

Sheriff Carole Cunninghame also placed the Uddingston man on the sex offenders’ register.

In April, a court heard that Black – a Scottish Government worker – was caught with indecent images of children during a police raid on his home and at his ex-girlfriend’s address in Larkhall two years ago.

The pervert’s internet details were found on a laptop seized during an FBI-led police probe into a large child abuse ring in Edinburgh in 2008.

A subsequent court case saw eight men convicted of sexual abuse of children in 2009, and at the time, newspapers described it as the most harrowing of its kind in Scotland.

Black pleaded guilty to taking – or permitting to be taken or made – indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children.

The offences were committed at a home in Birkenshaw, and another house in Larkhall between January 10, 2008, and February 10, 2009.

Fiscal-depute Vincent Lunny told court that 2058 images and 47 videos of child sex abuse were found on a computer, laptop and pen drive owned by Black.

Footage seized by officers during a search at his home – where he lived with his parents – on February 12, 2009, ranged in severity, with 32 images and four videos said to be categorised as the most serious in nature.

The original investigation started in March, 2008, based on information disclosed by the FBI about a child pornography ring based in Edinburgh.

Mr Lunny explained that a computer owned by one of the accused in that case was seized and examined, leading to Black.

During the raid, Black admitted that there was inappropriate materials on his computer equipment.

He later handed over a laptop, that he kept at his former partner’s home, to investigating officers.

Forensic examinations of the computers were completed in December, 2009, and Black was charged.

Defence agent Ian Scott explained that his client volunteered further materials as he “wanted to distance his parents and former girlfriend from any hint of suspicion”.

At court last Friday, Mr Scott added that Black had resigned from his civil servant post as soon as the allegations had come to light.

Black had also worked with the Criminal Injuries Compensations Authority (CICA) during a secondment from his job with the Scottish Government.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Cunninghame told Black that his was an “appalling offence”.

She imposed an 18-month licence period upon the 29-year-old following the custodial sentence.

This, she said, would “ensure the public is adequately protected” on his release.

He will be subject of the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act “indefinitely”.