Description
A company director who volunteered at a leading private school has been jailed after being caught with a sickening horde of child abuse material.
David Rankine, who built-up a leading media firm, was given an extended three year sentence when he appeared in the dock at Perth Sheriff Court.
Rankine, 42, was well-known as a first aider who was often called in to offer treatment to young pupils at £14,000-a-year Dundee High School.
He jailed Rankine for eight months, with a further 24-months post-prison extended sentence, and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for a decade.
Sheriff Duthie said: "Because of the gravity of the crime you committed a custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal. You were part of the process of child abuse.
"People like you are creating a demand for material. You can properly be said to contribute to the pain and fear of children who are physically abused."
Rankine, one of the driving forces behind award-winning MTC Media, was caught with photos and videos featuring boys as young as four being sexually assaulted by adults.
Police descended on his Carnoustie home after a tip-off in early 2021 and seized a range of devices, including four laptops and two iPhones.
Analysists found around 750 illicit files, with about a third ranked as Category A for obscenity. Rankine resigned as a director at MTC Media weeks after his arrest.
The website-building company, which counts Scottish Water, Umbro UK and Brewdog among its clients, stressed he had not had an active role in the firm since 2018.
Rankine admitted possessing indecent images of children at his former home in Henry Cotton Place, Carnoustie, between 24 December 2008 and 21 January 2021.
Fiscal depute Alistair McDermid told the court: "Confidential information was received by Police Scotland that indecent images of children may have been held within a property.
"The accused answered the door and police were permitted access. A systematic search of the address was then commenced by four officers."
Four laptops, two iPhones, six hard-drives and a tablet device were seized and a preliminary examination discovered a series of illicit images.
The fiscal depute told the court 574 still images and 183 videos were found on the devices.
He said: "The male children depicted in these pictures and videos are between four and 16 years of age."
A spokesman for MTC Media confirmed that Rankine has not been a "director or employee" since March 2021.
The company began in 1999 but was relaunched by former Carnoustie High School pupil Rankine - as business development director - and two others five years later. The company now has a workforce of more than 100 people.
Rankine was a regular first aid volunteer at Dundee High School sports events. He administered first aid to boys of all ages at the Mayfield Sports Centre.
A spokesman for Dundee High School said: "We can confirm that first aid cover at our school sports fixtures is provided by St Andrew's First Aid, with whom Mr Rankine was a volunteer.
"We are not aware of any suggestion or evidence, at this stage, or any issue or concern regarding the conduct of Mr Rankine in his capacity as a volunteer."
He added: "The high school has strict child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures in place and as part of due diligence, require risk assessment and safeguarding protocols to be observed at all times."
A spokeswoman for St Andrew's First Aid added: "We have been aware of David Rankine's crimes and we have deep sympathy for those affected.
"While we cannot comment on any individual volunteers, we have the relevant safeguards and processes in place and take all matters pertaining to child protection extremely seriously."
A spokesman for MTC said: "We are all utterly shocked and appalled by the revelations around Mr Rankine. We condemn this in the strongest possible terms.
"Mr Rankine has not been involved in the business since 2018 and resigned as a director in March 2021. We were not aware of the reasons for the resignation as Mr Rankine refused to disclose this.
"However, given his lack of input into the business in recent years we were happy to accept. This was a tremendous shock to read this disturbing list of offences and our primary concern is first and foremost to our team and to anyone affected.
"We reached out to our team immediately to offer our support. We are glad to see that justice will be delivered appropriately for Mr Rankine's appalling crimes."