In 2023, the Offender Database reported that Matthew Watt, then 23, of Rowanbank Gardens, Broughty Ferry, Dundee, was sentenced for repeated offences involving child abuse material. On Monday, 27 March 2023, Watt appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court to be sentenced for two separate indictments involving the download and possession of hundreds of indecent images.
The investigation established that Watt, formerly an art and design student at Dundee and Angus College, first admitted to downloading illicit material between July 2019 and May 2020. While on bail for these offences, a police check at his home in March 2021 revealed that he had breached his conditions by deleting his search history. Forensic analysis of his phone uncovered a further 341 images, including 41 category A files—the most graphic type—depicting the abuse of pre-teen girls and children as young as four.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Watt had been acquitted of a separate transatlantic sextortion plot just prior to admitting the image charges. Sheriff Alastair Carmichael noted that the defendant continued to access and download vile material even after being caught and placed under strict bail conditions. The prosecution stated that the seized devices contained a three-minute video of a girl aged between 12 and 14 being raped, alongside hundreds of other prohibited files.
The sheriff noted that Watt was fully aware of the illegality of his actions, having been warned previously of a potential prison sentence. For his actions in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, the court determined that the defendant’s repeated offending while under judicial supervision was a significant aggravating factor. The prosecution noted that the second haul of images was discovered only because of a proactive bail check by officers who suspected deletions had been made from his device.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in Scotland, Matthew Watt was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: Sentenced to 18 months in prison.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for 10 years.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced on two separate indictments at Dundee Sheriff Court.
- Convictions: Multiple counts of downloading, possessing, and taking indecent images of children.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Watt is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Police Scotland and the prison estate. Due to the nature of the repeated online offending and the breach of court orders in Dundee, his management is subject to oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Watt must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence in Rowanbank Gardens, Broughty Ferry, Dundee. Authorities state that his history of attempting to bypass digital monitoring will be a primary focus of his post-release supervision. Any breach of his registration conditions or future licence terms will result in immediate arrest and a return to Dundee Sheriff Court.
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