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Regional daily photographer found guilty of child porn charges

Kevin EmslieA regional daily photographer has been placed on the sex offenders’ register after being found guilty of making child pornography.

Kevin Emslie, who worked for the Aberdeen-based Press & Journal, was found guilty by a majority verdict of making indecent images of children between October 2004 and November 2015.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told that 156 illicit images were found on computers belonging to 46-year-old Emslie, including 14 graphic photographs of boys and girls aged between five and 13 being abused by adults.

A not proven verdict was returned on a second charge of possessing child porn between December 2008 and November 2015.

Emslie had been suspended from his own at the DC Thomson-owned title as soon as the offences came to light.

In a report about his conviction which was carried on the Press & Journal’s website, the newspaper said it would now “consider the appropriate next steps.”

Damian Bates, editor-in-chief of Aberdeen Journals, said: “Kevin was suspended from his role at the Press & Journal as soon as these charges came to light.

“Following today’s conviction for a very serious offence we will now consider the appropriate next steps and deal with the matter swiftly and internally.”

Emslie had denied the allegations against him, but the court heard his mother’s house in Milltimber, west of Aberdeen, and his current address in Bridge of Don, to the north, had been searched by police in 2015.

The searches had led to the images’ discovery.

David Moggach, defending, had argued throughout the trial it had not been proved that Emslie was responsible for the images being on the computers found at the addresses.

Mr Moggach said neither were password protected meaning anyone could access them, adding that the Milltimber property had frequent visitors including Emslie’s sister and a lodger.

Emslie, who has no previous convictions, will appear in court again for sentencing on 24 April after a social work report has been prepared.