A PRISON officer who ran “paedo rehab courses” in jail has been caught with extreme donkey porn and child abuse images.
Peter Sugden, 46, was placed on the sex offenders’ register after he was found possessing 12 child sexual abuse images and one video.
Not known, clear with picture deskPeter Sugden admitted to possessing child abuse images[/caption]
AlamyHMP Edinburgh prison in Edinburgh where Sugden previously worked as an officer[/caption]
AlamySugden has been put on the sex registry list[/caption]
The former HMP Edinburgh officer appeared in court at Falkirk Sheriff’s Court last week after previously pleading guilty to speaking indecently to a decoy he believed to be a girl named Abbie.
Sugden also admitted to possessing child pornography, extreme porn involving images of a woman having sex with a donkey and a man having intercourse with a dog.
Two of the photographs found during a raid on his house were deemed Category A – the most severe kind.
Category A is defined as images involving penetrative sexual activity; images involving sexual activity with an animal, or sadism.
Helen Nisbet, Procurator Fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said:
“Peter Sugden deliberately conducted a sexualised exchange online with someone he thought to be a 13-year-old girl.
“Following his arrest, his phone was found to contain several images containing child sexual exploitation and abuse.
“Sugden has now been held accountable for his predatory and exploitative conduct, and we hope this prosecution makes clear that we will take action against those who commit this type of offending.”
Sugden has since been ordered to attend rehab and to work with the child abuse prevention charity Stop it Now!
He has also been put under supervision for three years.
Passing sentence, Sheriff Craig 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, and his recent actions had caused “great distress” to his family.
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 of the family home. He has not returned; he has no chance 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.”
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson told the BBC: “We recognise the profound and lasting impact such crimes have on survivors.
“This individual is no longer employed by the Scottish Prison Service.”
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