Latest news with #CivicGovernment(Scotland)Act1982
Glasgow Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
iGLO tanning salon applies to renew entertainment licence
iGLO, located at 50 Cowgate, Kirkintilloch, has requested the renewal under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. The application was submitted by Oscar Collins Limited, with Jamie Collins identified as the day-to-day manager. To view the full public notice, go to The salon provides tanning services, operating from 10am to 10pm, Monday to Friday; 10am to 7pm on Saturdays; and 12pm to 7pm on Sundays. The application notice was issued by East Dunbartonshire Council's legal and regulatory services. Residents have a 28-day window from the publication date of the notice to submit any objections or representations regarding the application. These should be directed to the chief solicitor and monitoring officer within the legal and regulatory services at East Dunbartonshire Council, 12 Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintilloch. Alternatively, submissions can be emailed to
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kirkintilloch tanning salon applies to renew Public Entertainment Licence
A Kirkintilloch tanning salon has applied to renew its Public Entertainment Licence. iGLO, located at 50 Cowgate, Kirkintilloch, has requested the renewal under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. The application was submitted by Oscar Collins Limited, with Jamie Collins identified as the day-to-day manager. To view the full public notice, go to The salon provides tanning services, operating from 10am to 10pm, Monday to Friday; 10am to 7pm on Saturdays; and 12pm to 7pm on Sundays. The application notice was issued by East Dunbartonshire Council's legal and regulatory services. Residents have a 28-day window from the publication date of the notice to submit any objections or representations regarding the application. These should be directed to the chief solicitor and monitoring officer within the legal and regulatory services at East Dunbartonshire Council, 12 Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintilloch. Alternatively, submissions can be emailed to
Edinburgh Live
26-05-2025
- Edinburgh Live
Former Edinburgh private school worker convicted again after police raid his home
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A former IT worker at an Edinburgh private school who avoided jail for having child rape videos has been convicted a second time. Darren Scott, previously known as Darren Scordecchia, was spared a custodial sentence in April 2018 after being caught with the vile haul of sex abuse videos and images. Several of the films were category A, which signifies the most extreme content. Scott was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and was placed on a supervision order for 12 months. The 42-year-old is now behind bars at HMP Edinburgh after police executed a warrant at his address on September 5, 2024, and found over 15,000 indecent images of children which had been deleted. Scott pleaded guilty to having in his possession indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children between March 23 and September 5, 2024. Scott, who previously held a role as technical support analyst at Mary Erskine School and Stewart's Melville College, has been remanded in custody since September 24. On May 15 Scott was due to be sentenced at Edinburgh Sheriff Court but the hearing was deferred until next month to allow a psychological assessment to be carried out. During the raid on Scott's flat on Moat Drive, 39 devices were recovered by police. A total of 15,179 still indecent images of children were discovered on one desktop computer, all of which were inaccessible having previously been deleted. The images showed male and female children aged between 1-15 years, including sadistic content. After the system was the subject of initial examination, more than 5,000 images depicting sex exploitation were discovered. The files were inaccessible but named in way which would confirm they were downloaded with the knowledge they contained such material. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Scott struggled to identify what made him 'cross the line again' and view such material online given his awareness of the consequences. However, he stated once he had done so, he was on a 'downward spiral' of seeking out even more extreme content. Upon leaving college Scott started working at Mary Erskine School and Stewart's Melville College in 2004 on a temporary contract which was subsequently made permanent. He progressed from helpline support to a role as a technical support analyst until his employment was terminated as a result of him being charged and convicted of a previous offence in 2018. Scott undertook temporary IT contracting jobs for a number of years before gaining permanent employment at a data centre where he remained until his arrest last year. Scott pleaded guilty to a single charge contrary to the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and is due to be sentenced next month.
The Herald Scotland
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish young women divided on Ash Regan's new bill
Pioneered in Sweden in 1999, the 'Nordic model' criminalises the act of buying sex while decriminalising its sale. The model was subsequently adopted by Norway, Iceland, Canada, Northern Ireland, France, Ireland and Israel. Some sex workers have criticised the proposed legislation, saying it could force them underground — and make their lives more dangerous. Regan, who argues that prostitution is undergirded by 'male violence against women', has said she wants her legislation to become law before the end of the current parliamentary session in 2026. Ash Regan introduced her 'Unbuyable' bill last week.A number of young Scottish women shared their thoughts on the bill with The Herald. AJ Whyte, from Stirling, said: 'I'm in two minds about it, honestly.' 'I think decriminalising it is the first step to protecting sex workers who are trapped in the industry. It's the same as abortion, it will always happen but decriminalising it helps with the stigma and allows more people to accept help.' Emily McKay, who is a fourth year University of Aberdeen student, agrees. 'In my opinion, most women don't turn to sex work unless they really have to', she said. 'It'd be more helpful to offer support to pull people out of poverty. I think it's sort of similar to abortion where criminalising it won't make it disappear. It just makes it harder for folk to find support and makes it more dangerous.' Beth Templeton, also from Aberdeen, backs the bill. She said: 'I think that Ash Regan's proposal appears as if it will protect sex workers. By putting the criminality on men who exploit these women, it protects women and targets the structural issue prostitution sits within, rather than further punishing the women. However, Beth did share one concern about the bill, noting: 'If there isn't increased protections for sex workers alongside this bill, there is the danger of these women being exploited further by men willing to pay a higher price for services. 'If they can pair it with other benefits and programs for work then it may well help.' Beth Templeton is a student at the University of Aberdeen. (Image: Supplied) According to the Scottish Government, the legislation would 'create a new offence of paying for sexual acts'. Currently, it is not illegal to buy sex in Scotland. However, it is illegal to run brothels, solicit or purchase sexual services in public, or cause others to join the sex industry. The legislation would repeal Section 46 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, effectively decriminalising the sale of sex in public. Historic convictions for prostitution would be quashed, and the Scottish Government would be required to provide 'assistance and support' for sex workers. Some young women have questioned Alba's role in crafting the legislation. Kirsten Koss told The Herald: 'Rather than criminalising and stigmatising what is often a symptom of social issues, Regan would do better to challenge the Scottish Government around its approach to resolving the issues that force women into sex work. 'Frankly, Alba is increasingly moving in a troubling direction when it comes to women. Policies such as these amount to misogyny, under the guise of 'protecting women from men'. 'Instead we should tackle the reasons that these men feel this behaviour is acceptable, and the societal issues that cause women to become victims of such treatment.' Kirsten Koss doesn't trust the motives behind the bill. (Image: Supplied) Arts student Eden Hally says that decriminalising sex work would be a positive for those working in the industry. They said: 'Sex workers face a working environment that can be extremely dangerous. When someone who does sex work faces abuse and rape and other forms of sexual assault, they may feel unable to disclose the abuse or seek justice due to the status of legality of their work. They are already a highly stigmatized group of people.' There has been robust debate over the efficacy of the Nordic model. Speaking to Good Morning Scotland, Regan compared Sweden, the first proponent of the approach, to Germany, which decriminalised sex work in 2002. Regan noted that no sex workers had been killed in Sweden this century, compared to Germany, where 99 have been murdered. However, a 2022 report by Amnesty International contends that a 2017 law criminalising the purchase of sex in Ireland did not protect sex workers from exploitation, but actually created a 'higher risk of abuse and violence' for sex workers. The report read: 'Sex workers frequently described being forced to engage in more risky behaviours as a result of client criminalization. 'Sex workers often do not engage with the police for fear of being charged with brothel keeping or other offences under the 2017 Act, despite the government's claims that it 'decriminalized' sex work.' Sex workers in Ireland say they are not comfortable approaching the police with concerns. (Image: TVP) Scottish Greens activist Iris Duane told The Herald that sex workers must be at the heart of any proposals. 'This bill, and bills like it, have operated in various contexts in other countries and proven it does not work', she said. 'Like many policy areas, this represents another attempt of our political elite to dictate to those living their lives, what does and does not keep them safe. 'Particularly in this case, it represents yet another attempt of wealthy politically privileged 'feminists', dictating to women based on little more than their idea of how the world should work - not how it works in actuality. 'It is incredibly important that policy in this area is led by the safety, dignity and autonomy of sec workers themselves, not on what our political elites think will be 'good for them'.' READ MORE on the 'Unbuyable' bill Beth agrees with Regan's view that prostitution is a systemic issue which 'perpetuates male violence'. She said: 'Regan does seem to recognise this so the protections for women need to be the same protections for women who are sexually assaulted/ abused. 'Although it is 'work' it is often work that has been due to limited choices for women and a lack of support within the system. 'There can't just be a blanket solution of criminalising men, there needs to be real work and effort put in for the protection of women.' Eden added: 'I don't think sex work should be encouraged, but it is also an inevitability in society. We must protect vulnerable people wherever they're at, and sometimes that means facing a morally grey area. 'When we can reduce the harm done to vulnerable people in society like sex workers through law, it may seem vulgar or like we're making it 'more acceptable', but I believe it prevents unnecessary deaths."
Daily Record
26-04-2025
- Daily Record
IT buff facing jail after creating AI-generated child abuse images at Paisley home
An IT buff could be facing jail after being caught with AI-generated child abuse images in what is believed to be one of the first such convictions in Scotland. Risto Bergman, who moved to Scotland from his native Finland, was found to have the illegal images on a computer at his former Paisley flat. The 42-year-old - who posted on social media he was "interested in IT" - made the images after typing into an AI programme what he wanted it to create. He admitted his guilt at Paisley Sheriff Court on Thursday, where it was also heard Bergman used the software to create images featuring himself. The Finnish national pled guilty to a charge of making "indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children" in breach of Section 52(1)(a) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 . He admitted between June 26 and July 25, 2023, he made the photographs at his then-home, a flat in Love Street, Paisley, Renfrewshire . Procurator Fiscal Depute Karen Yuill told the court officers from Police Scotland attended Bergman's then-home on December 1, 2023, and searched the property. She explained: " Police witnesses attended in possession of a search warrant. They seized multiple devices. They took multiple devices for examination. "A black tower unit, which the accused identified as being his property, was seized. A joint cyber crime report was produced which indicated 23 indecent images of children were on the device." They were all still images with five rated as category A images - the most extreme there is - and 18 rated as being category C images, the least extreme. Paisley Sheriff Court heard "recognised search terms" had been entered into the AI programme to make indecent images of children, and two images of Bergman himself were also found on the device. The images of him had been created using the same AI programme as the one used to create indecent images of children, and he was taken to the police station . When interviewed by cops he made no comment to the questions he was asked, and he was later arrested for the offences, before appearing in court to admit his guilt. Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill told Bergman he would be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register due to being convicted of the offences, and called for a criminal justice social work report and Restriction of Liberty Order assessment to be prepared. A Restriction of Liberty Order would see Bergman fitted with an electronic tag and having to abide by a daily curfew which would see him remaining within his home during specified hours. Sentencing of Bergman, who now lives in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute , was adjourned until next month for background reports, and consideration of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order being imposed. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order would see limits placed on his freedom if he were to receive a non-custodial sentence and allowed to remain within the community. Conditions can include not being allowed to visit places with children , being banned from deleting your internet browsing history, and being forbidden from using the internet on an unmonitored device.
