A depraved paedophile lorry driver from Angus who sexually abused three children and shared sick images of them on the dark web has been jailed.
Paul Stewart infiltrated a family to target children as young as 11 months over a three-year period at an address in Arbroath.
Prosecutors believe Stewart, 45, deliberately involved himself with women with children “for nefarious purposes”.
Stewart will be under stringent supervision for the next decade and is on the sex offenders register for life after previously pleading guilty to nine different charges.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael said: “You pleaded guilty to an appalling series of sexual offences that you committed against young children.
“Whether you entered relationships in order to do this is unclear.
“You took photographs of them and even distributed these to other people.
“This is so serious that there can only be a custodial sentence.”
Relatives of the child victims sobbed as Sheriff Carmichael passed his sentence.
Former HGV driver Stewart kept his head bowed as he was led to the cells.
Dundee Sheriff Court previously heard how Stewart’s crimes came to light in 2023 after police received intelligence he was storing indecent images of children on his phone.
The same phone is still held by police with a “wider investigation” ongoing.
Prosecutor Sarah Wilkinson revealed how analysis uncovered sexual images Stewart took in July 2021 of a child aged between eight and nine, sleeping in bed including eight of her genital area.
Stewart can be seen in some of the images which were sent to three email addresses.
Images and videos of another child of a similar age being sexually assaulted were also taken.
Stewart filmed himself for around a minute performing a sex act on a child as she slept.
A file including the words “pre-rape” was sent to an email address alongside the video.
The court heard Stewart would use the private browsing software TOR to share files with and contact other paedophiles.
A third child, aged 11 months at the time, was featured in an indecent image created by Stewart in July 2021.
Stewart took other images and videos of her being sexually assaulted when she was almost three.
In total, 367 images and 22 videos of the three children being abused were uncovered.
Nine videos and 116 images were at the highest level of depravity.
Hid crimes after move
Shameless Stewart moved to Wick in 2023, later moving in with a woman and her children.
He was subject to stringent bail conditions restricting his unsupervised access to children.
Ms Wilkinson said the woman became aware of the allegations against Stewart, who told her he had clicked on a dark web link that contained indecent images.
Stewart had regular unsupervised contact with children until he was remanded on May 16 this year.
Perth prisoner Stewart pled guilty charges of sexually assaulting taking and distributing indecent images of children between October 2020 and June 2023, as well as breaching bail.
‘Apologies and regret’
Solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin said Stewart was “genuinely remorseful” for his heinous crimes, adding his offending was linked to his own childhood trauma.
Mr Gilmartin said: “He has not sought to excuse or to minimise his behaviour.
“The victim impact statements lodged provide a harrowing account of the effects that his actions have had.
“Of course, the apologies and regret ring hollow in cases of this nature but that is all that Mr Stewart can tender at this stage.
“The report details childhood trauma suffered by Mr Stewart – it’s an explanation and not an excuse.”
Mr Gilmartin said Stewart had abused alcohol and other substances as well as suffering poor mental health due to the trauma.
Sheriff Carmichael sentenced him to 42 months in prison, backdated to May 17.
He also made him subject to a decade-long sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) which will restrict his access to children and the internet as well as other stringent measures.
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