In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Joshua Pemberton, then 22, formerly of Ruisaurie, Beauly, was jailed for two years for threatening under-age girls with murder and rape to extort indecent images. On Tuesday, 23 July 2019, the defendant appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing. It was reported that Pemberton, who had since moved to Dumfries, committed these new offences while on bail for nearly identical charges.
The investigation established that Pemberton used Instagram and Snapchat to target a 12-year-old girl in the Western Isles and a 13-year-old girl in England. Police Scotland reported that the defendant lied about his age and used threats to induce the children into sending him videos and nude photographs. The prosecution reported that Pemberton’s campaign of terror involved telling a 13-year-old he would rape and drown her if she did not comply, all occurring during a single month in January 2018.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Pemberton made the request to be sent back to prison, a move his own solicitor, Shahid Latif, admitted he was anxious about and disagreed with. Inverness Sheriff Court heard how a mental health consultant believed Pemberton’s autism was a compelling explanation for his rapid re-offending, yet his lack of access to rehabilitation programmes during his previous 27-month sentence meant the risk remained high. The prosecution reported that Pemberton breached his bail orders by communicating with seven different girls under 16 while awaiting his previous court date.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson noted that after Pemberton’s request and the nature of the five new charges, she had no other option but to impose a custodial sentence. For his actions in Beauly, Dumfries, and the Western Isles, Pemberton was sentenced to two years in prison. The judge noted the predatory nature of his extortion tactics and expressed hope that he would finally receive the psychological help required while in custody to prevent further victims in Inverness or elsewhere.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in Scotland, Joshua Pemberton was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: Two years in prison (July 2019).
- Previous Sentence: 27 months in prison (May 2018) for identical offences.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for life.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Inverness Sheriff Court following a Police Scotland investigation.
- Criminal Record: Extortion of indecent images, sending sexual communications, and breach of bail.
- Origin: Ruisaurie, Beauly, Highland (later Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway).
Monitoring and Public Protection
Pemberton is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) at the highest level of oversight by Police Scotland and the Scottish prison estate. Due to the nature of his threats to murder and rape children to obtain material, his management is subject to intensive scrutiny by the Public Protection Unit in both the Highland and Dumfries and Galloway regions.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Pemberton must comply with notification requirements regarding his identity and residence for the remainder of his life. Authorities state that his history of lying about his age on Instagram and his predatory use of extortion necessitates permanent and stringent monitoring of his conduct and internet access. Any further sexual misconduct or attempt to contact children in Beauly, Inverness, or elsewhere will result in immediate arrest and a return to the court system for an increasingly lengthier term of incarceration.
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