Three men who participated in the exchange of Category A child and baby sexual abuse material—described by seasoned police officers as among the most horrific and violent they had ever encountered—have been sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.
Calvin McFarlane, aged 29, of Greenock, Andrew Clarke, aged 42, of Cathcart, Glasgow, and Alan Dixon, aged 33, of Jordanhill, Glasgow, were identified and detained following a coordinated law enforcement investigation into illicit communications conducted across encrypted messaging platforms.
Digital forensics teams examining the seized hardware uncovered an extensive collection of Category A images and video files.
The media recovered depicted the rape and sexual torture of infants and young girls.
Detectives also uncovered communications discussing targeted abduction and sexual offences:
Calvin McFarlane and Alan Dixon engaged in conversations planning the abduction of children and the rape of a young girl on top of a churchyard grave.
Andrew Clarke made statements regarding an infant, remarking during conversations that it would be “hard not to kill” the child.
The court was provided with details regarding the background of the three men.
Clarke was employed as an accounts manager for a commercial printing business, Dixon worked in a supermarket with no previous convictions, and McFarlane had earlier been employed by court and prisoner transport contractor GeoAmey.
Presiding over the sentencing hearing, Lord Scott reflected upon the severe psychological impact the recovered media had upon investigators, noting that officers accustomed to dealing with serious criminality classified the files as “the most violent, graphic and disturbing content they have been exposed to.”
Reminding the defendants of the reality underpinning the media they consumed and shared, Lord Scott stated: “This is not a victimless crime. Your actions perpetuated the exploitation and rape of children and babies.”
The court imposed the following custodial terms:
- Alan Dixon was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment (36 months).
- Andrew Clarke was sentenced to two years and six months’ imprisonment (30 months).
- Calvin McFarlane was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
- All three defendants were made subject to the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.
In addition, the court ordered that McFarlane and Dixon be placed under statutory supervision for a period of two years following their release into the community.
Release Calculation: Under Scottish sentencing legislation governing short-term determinate sentences (custodial terms of less than four years), prisoners are subject to non-discretionary automatic early release on licence at the 50 per cent mark of their sentence. Under these provisions, McFarlane will be eligible for release on licence after completing nine months in custody, Clarke after 15 months, and Dixon after 18 months, with supervision conditions managed by criminal justice social work teams.
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