Aberdeen baker famed for butteries facing jail over child porn

A bakery boss famed for his butteries is facing jail over a stash of almost 16,000 ­indecent images of children.

The case was heard at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

David Aitken, 60, is ­currently selling off the chain of four Aitkens Bakery shops in ­Aberdeen.

The bakeries had a reputation for making the best ­butteries, or rowies, in the city.

Duncan Jones – son of music legend David Bowie, and an award-winning film director – urged people to sample them when he learned the shops were to close.

In April he tweeted: “If this is true, I beg each and every person in Aberdeen, for local history’s sake, to go to Aitkens before it is closed for the last time, and get themselves an early morning, warm roll.”

The court was told he had 15,961 still images and 405 videos.

Aitken, a partner in the firm, admitted at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, taking or permitting to be taken indecent ­images of children as well as possessing the material.

The offences took place between 16 March 2010 and 11 September 2017. Depute ­fiscal Alan Townsend told the court that Aitken’s home was searched by police.

He said: “On October 14, police received intelligence, on October 17 a warrant was craved. At 8am on November 2 last year, police attended and executed the warrant.”

Police seized computer equipment including hard drives.

Mr Townsend went on to say: “The accused was traced at his work.”

Once told that a warrant had been executed at his home, the court heard Aitken “started to shake, saying he should not make any comment”.

Mr Townsend said that during the examination of the equipment “baking-­related content consistent with his profession” and “a large amount of documents ­relating to Aitkens Bakery” were found.

The still images and videos recovered were across categories A, B and C in the sliding scale – with A being the most severe category in grading abuse images.

Defence agent Andrew Ormiston asked for sentence to be deferred for a report and for his client to remain on bail.

Sheriff William Summers told Aitken, whose address was given in court papers as Anderson Drive, Aberdeen, that he would defer sentence until next month and that he would be subject to the ­notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act.