Latest Offenders Fife

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A MAN is awaiting sentence after admitting downloading over 300 indecent pictures and 16 videos including child pornography. Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that the offences came to light when police acting on specific intelligence from the online child abuse prevention unit searched his home in the towns Westerloch Crescent. James Adam Tait, 49, whose address was given as Frankfield Road, Dalgety Bay, had the images and videos on various devices. Some were in folders that made finding the images harder for someone looking through the device, the court heard. Tait admitted having indecent photographs of children between 15 March 2014 and 17 June 2019 and other pornographic images between 24 April 2016 and 25 June 2019. Over half of the videos fell within the most serious category of child pornographic images, as did 21 of the stills images, the court heard. There were also 199 indicative images of children posing in swimwear or sportswear. Sheriff Ian Cruickshank adjourned the hearing until 8 April for a criminal justice social enquiry report and ordered Tait to be placed on the sex offenders register and released on bail.

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A man who raped two women during a campaign of cruelty and control has been jailed for eight years.

Thomas Gordon, 54, carried out painful attacks on his victims and threatened to post topless pictures of a third woman to her work colleagues.

The attacks took place in Comrie and Aberdour in Fife between 2010 and 2016.

The judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told Gordon, formerly of Comrie, that all his victims had been "badly damaged" by his conduct.

Lady Scott said he had been convicted of charges that involved "a course of controlling, abusive and threatening conduct".

Gordon had denied a string of charges but was found guilty of two offences of rape and further crimes of assault and threatening and abusive behaviour.

One of his victims told the trial he had made her give up her job, and tried to stop her having contact with any men.

She said: "He took my phone away from me so I didn't have any numbers. I lost contact with my family because of him."

Gordon's defence lawyer said he continued to deny his guilt.

After the sentencing, Det Sgt Mark Kane, of Police Scotland, said Gordon presented "a significant risk to women".

He added: "It is only through the courage of his victims in coming forward and reporting what he had done, that he has now been brought to justice and I hope the sentence today brings some form of closure for these women.

"There is no time limit for anyone who has suffered abuse to come forward. It is never too late to report to the police or to seek support and advice from one of our partner agencies, such as Womens Aid.

"Equally, I hope this conviction sends a clear message to perpetrators that the passage of time is no barrier to investigations, nor access to justice for victims."

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A predatory rapist has been jailed for 10 years for raping or sexually assaulting four women at homes across Fife. Neil Ireland, 39, from Methil, was convicted of three offences of rape and three of sexual assault last month. He was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh. He raped one woman while she was in bed with her baby daughter. He committed his crimes between 2008 and 2015 in Cupar, Leven and Methil. No remorse A judge told him: "It was, in my opinion, correctly stated by the Crown at your trial that you were a predator who befriended and exploited vulnerable women by taking advantage of them sexually, not caring whether they consented to what you did to them." Lord Uist said: "Moreover, it was clear to me you considered you were entitled to act as you did and you have shown no remorse or regret." The judge said a background report prepared on Ireland revealed that he used denial, minimisation and blame and portrayed himself as the victim. Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson said Ireland was a first offender who had demonstrated in the past that he had "an excellent work ethic". He said Ireland intended to co-operate with the authorities while serving his prison sentence and would take part in offender programmes. Ireland will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

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A young man who committed sex acts with two under-age boys was “driven by a sexual attraction to children”, a court heard.

Samuel McDonald – who admitted having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old and sexually assaulting a seven-year-old – was jailed for four and a half years at the High Court in Livingston.

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