Case study: ‘Despicable’ paedophile filmed attack on toddler

The 45-year-old pled guilty to four charges when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow last month.

Morrison, from Grange-mouth, was found with about 13,000 downloaded and uploaded images, including videos. Some of the images were at the highest end of severity in terms of the graphic nature of the abuse depicted, police said.

Investigators built up evidence through online chat logs, photographs and by analysing veins on Morrison’s hand. Detectives who seized his computers discovered he had recorded a video of a rape, sent the file to a paedophile in the United States and then spoke about it online afterwards. Analysts were able to identify the video’s location as Morrison’s home and that a hand which featured in it was his.

Morrison was caught following a large-scale and complex inquiry involving 30 police officers and staff, alongside other agency staff.

Detective Inspector Barry Blair, of the public protection unit which led the operation, said: “This man is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous sexual predators we have ever investigated.

“We know that children in the Forth Valley area and beyond are considerably safer now he has been convicted of these despicable offences.”

Detective Sergeant Douglas Howie, of the specialist investigations unit which investigates online crime and sexual abuse, said: “The possession and distribution of child abuse images is in no way a victimless crime.

“Morrison was in contact with more than 200 people around the world through the internet, who were all like-minded individuals interested in the sexual abuse of young children.

“In the UK alone, three children were effectively rescued from being at risk.”

Forensic examination of hard drives at his home showed Morrison was in contact with paedophiles in 25 countries, police said.