Back in 2020, Blair Houliston, the Edinburgh Paedophile, who downloaded several child pornography films, was apprehended when his lover discovered disturbing images on his mobile device.
Blair Houliston, 27, utilised WhatsApp and Kik Messenger to transmit and receive heinous films and photographs of babies as young as two years old being raped, tormented, or abused by adults.
Depraved Blair Houliston communicated with another individual in the United States who transmitted numerous disturbing still images and video footage after Houliston disclosed his interest in “children, rape, and incest.”
He accumulated hundreds of photographs on computer equipment over a three-year period at his residence in the Greendykes neighbourhood of Edinburgh.
Blair Houliston was ultimately discovered after bringing a new companion to his residence, where the individual noticed elements of his unsettling collection on Blair Houliston’s mobile device.
The individual was so astonished by what he observed on the handset that he promptly contacted the police to report his finding, initiating a trans-Atlantic probe into Blair Houliston’s computer and mobile history, contents, and downloads.
Specially skilled officers utilised advanced tools to uncover Blair Houliston’s web history during the investigation.
Prosecutor Rosie Cook informed the court that Blair Houliston encountered his male partner via a dating application in March 2018 and subsequently invited him to his residence later that month.
The procurator fiscal depute stated that the guy observed “something alarming on [Blair Houliston’s] mobile phone” and opted to notify the police.
Officers obtained a search warrant before they conducted a raid at Blair Houliston’s flat the following month, and his mobile phone and a desktop tower unit were confiscated and forensically analysed.
Police discovered hundreds of indecent images and movies depicting child abuse, mostly involving males aged between 12 and 14 years old engaging in solo sex acts and posing erotically.
Officers also found evidence that Blair Houliston had contacted a child abuser in Austin, Texas, on WhatsApp, where they found conversations that were “extremely sexual in nature”.
The online chats included the US pervert asking Blair Houliston, “What are you into, sir?” and the Scot replied, “kids, rape, incest”.
Further images were then found on a computer program known as Mega, which was said to be similar to Dropbox and used for storing photographs, depicting “children as young as two years old”, the court was told.
Houliston is now facing a jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing and distributing indecent images of children when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Sheriff John Mundy said the offences were “clearly a very serious matter” and placed Blair Houliston on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a term still to be decided.
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