A Scottish prison officer has walked free from court despite being caught possessing extreme donkey porn and child abuse images.
Peter Sugden, 46, from Falkirk, delivered ‘intensive’ rehab courses to sex offenders but has now been placed on the register himself following the grim discovery.
Sugden’s home was raided by police in June last year after he was caught in a ‘sting’ set up by a London-based group of paedophile hunters.
The former HMP Edinburgh officer appeared for sentence at Falkirk Sheriff on Tuesday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to communicating indecently with someone he was under the impression was a child named Abbie.
But this was actually an adult female decoy named Sonia.
Sugden, now a driver living in Rumford, also admitted to possessing and downloading child pornography, and possessing extreme porn including images depicting a woman engaged in sexual activity with a donkey and men engaged in sexual activity with dogs.
The court chillingly heard that 12 child sexual abuse and exploitation images were found during the raid, along with one child sexual abuse and exploitation video.
Two of the photographs were considered Category A, the most serious kind.
Following the hearing, Sugden has already paid to undertake rehab work the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and has been engaging with child abuse prevention charity Stop It Now!
Sheriff Craig Harris placed Sugden under supervision for three years and on the sex offenders register for the same period of time.
He also ordered Sugden to complete 210 hours of unpaid work in the next two years and imposed a string of strict conduct requirements affecting Sugden’s internet use.
Sheriff Harris said: ‘These offences involve a high degree of culpability.
‘In terms of harm, viewing, downloading and distributing indecent images of children is part of the process of child abuse.
‘Those who access material bear responsibility for the abuse for creating a demand for such material.
‘You worked yourself with sex offenders. You delivered a high intensity programme.’
Sugden’s solicitor, Sarah McIlwham, said he had no previous convictions.
She said: ‘Until the events which bring us to court today, he was a happily married man – married for over 20 years. There are two children of that union.
‘Up until this offence, he’d been working in SPS as a prison officer for in excess of 22 years.
‘He had a very positive upbringing. His parents are here today.
‘These offences have caused great distress, not only to his ex-wife and daughters but also to his parents and immediate family.
‘Mr Sugden is a man who never thought he would be in front of the courts but finds himself here after a significant lapse in judgement.
‘It’s something for which he’s deeply remorseful and regretful of. However he takes full responsibility.
‘He’s had his life turned upside down by these offences.
‘He was put out the family home. He has not returned, he has no chances of reconciliation with his wife and quite frankly he is too ashamed to try.
‘Similarly, the relationship he has with his two daughters is strained.
‘There was a lapse in judgement. His mental health prior to this offending had been significantly down. He’s currently medicated for that. He doesn’t see himself coming off this medication for some time.
‘He is a man somewhat broken by his actions.’