Latest news with #Sugden
North Wales Chronicle
22-05-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Prison officer who messaged fake profile of girl, 13, while at work spared jail
Peter Sugden, 46, began communicating with the Kik profile in June 2024, believing it belonged to a young girl from Essex. However he was actually messaging a volunteer from an online protection team, who was managing the decoy account. Sugden, of Falkirk, sent indecent messages and sexual remarks to the fictional teenager over the course of 16 days. So-called paedophile hunters managing the account travelled to his home on June 27 and confronted him, and then contacted police. Sugden was taken to Falkirk police station and made 'full and frank admissions', according to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. He confessed during interview to sending messages before he left for work, at lunchtimes and early in the evening on an almost daily basis. Sugden's mobile phone was examined and found to contain 12 images of child abuse, ranging from category A to C, according to prosecutors. Sugden appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on April 2 and admitted taking or making indecent images between March 2019 and June 2024. He also admitted attempting to indecently communicate with a child. He was given a three-year community payback order at the same court on Tuesday and will be subject to supervision and restrictions. He was also added to the sex offenders register. Helen Nisbet, procurator fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: 'Peter Sugden deliberately conducted a sexualised exchange online with someone he thought to be a 13-year-old girl. 'Following his arrest, his phone was found to contain several images containing child sexual exploitation and abuse. 'Sugden has now been held accountable for his predatory and exploitative conduct, and we hope this prosecution makes clear that we will take action against those who commit this type of offending.' A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: 'We recognise the profound and lasting impact such crimes have on survivors. 'This individual is no longer employed by the Scottish Prison Service.'
Leader Live
21-05-2025
- Leader Live
Prison officer who messaged fake profile of girl, 13, while at work spared jail
Peter Sugden, 46, began communicating with the Kik profile in June 2024, believing it belonged to a young girl from Essex. However he was actually messaging a volunteer from an online protection team, who was managing the decoy account. Sugden, of Falkirk, sent indecent messages and sexual remarks to the fictional teenager over the course of 16 days. So-called paedophile hunters managing the account travelled to his home on June 27 and confronted him, and then contacted police. Sugden was taken to Falkirk police station and made 'full and frank admissions', according to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. He confessed during interview to sending messages before he left for work, at lunchtimes and early in the evening on an almost daily basis. Sugden's mobile phone was examined and found to contain 12 images of child abuse, ranging from category A to C, according to prosecutors. Sugden appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on April 2 and admitted taking or making indecent images between March 2019 and June 2024. He also admitted attempting to indecently communicate with a child. He was given a three-year community payback order at the same court on Tuesday and will be subject to supervision and restrictions. He was also added to the sex offenders register. Helen Nisbet, procurator fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: 'Peter Sugden deliberately conducted a sexualised exchange online with someone he thought to be a 13-year-old girl. 'Following his arrest, his phone was found to contain several images containing child sexual exploitation and abuse. 'Sugden has now been held accountable for his predatory and exploitative conduct, and we hope this prosecution makes clear that we will take action against those who commit this type of offending.' A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: 'We recognise the profound and lasting impact such crimes have on survivors. 'This individual is no longer employed by the Scottish Prison Service.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Prison officer who led sex offenders' rehab found with child abuse material
A prison officer who delivered rehabilitation courses to sex offenders has been placed on the register himself after being found with child abuse material and extreme pornography including a woman having sex with a donkey. Peter Sugden's home in Reddingmuirhead, Falkirk, was raided by police in June last year after he was caught in a 'sting' set up by so-called paedophile hunters. The 46-year-old former HMP Edinburgh officer appeared for sentence at Falkirk sheriff court on Tuesday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to communicating indecently with someone he believed to be a child called 'Abbie', but was in fact an adult female decoy named Sonia. Sugden, who works as a driver, also admitted possessing and downloading child pornography, and possessing extreme pornography including images depicting the woman engaged in sexual activity with a donkey and men engaged in sexual activity with dogs. The court heard that 12 child sexual abuse and exploitation images and one child sexual abuse and exploitation video were found. Two of the photographs were considered category A, the most serious kind. Sarah McIlwham, defending, said: 'Until the events which bring us to court today, he was a happily married man – married for over 20 years. There are two children of that union. 'Up until this offence, he'd been working in SPS as a prison officer for in excess of 22 years. 'He had a very positive upbringing. His parents are here today. These offences have caused great distress, not only to his ex-wife and daughters but also to his parents and immediate family. 'Mr Sugden is a man who never thought he would be in front of the courts but finds himself here after a significant lapse in judgment. 'It's something for which he's deeply remorseful and regretful of. However, he takes full responsibility.' Ms McIlwham said Sugden had been 'put out' of the family home with 'no chances of reconciliation with his wife' and his relationship with his two daughters was now 'strained'. Sheriff Craig Harris placed Sugden under supervision for three years and on the sex offenders register for the same period. He ordered Sugden to complete 210 hours of unpaid work in the next two years and imposed a string of conduct requirements affecting Sugden's internet use. Sheriff Harris said: 'In terms of harm, viewing, downloading and distributing indecent images of children is part of the process of child abuse. 'Those who access material bear responsibility for the abuse for creating a demand for such material. 'You worked yourself with sex offenders. You delivered a high-intensity programme.' Sugden communicated with a profile he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl from Essex during his lunch breaks. Over the course of several days, Sugden sent indecent messages and made sexual remarks towards the child decoy. On June 27 2024, he was confronted at his home by members of the online protection team, with police then called. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Glasgow Times
21-05-2025
- Glasgow Times
Prison officer who messaged fake profile of girl, 13, while at work spared jail
Peter Sugden, 46, began communicating with the Kik profile in June 2024, believing it belonged to a young girl from Essex. However he was actually messaging a volunteer from an online protection team, who was managing the decoy account. Sugden, of Falkirk, sent indecent messages and sexual remarks to the fictional teenager over the course of 16 days. So-called paedophile hunters managing the account travelled to his home on June 27 and confronted him, and then contacted police. Sugden was taken to Falkirk police station and made 'full and frank admissions', according to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. He confessed during interview to sending messages before he left for work, at lunchtimes and early in the evening on an almost daily basis. Sugden's mobile phone was examined and found to contain 12 images of child abuse, ranging from category A to C, according to prosecutors. Sugden appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on April 2 and admitted taking or making indecent images between March 2019 and June 2024. He also admitted attempting to indecently communicate with a child. He was given a three-year community payback order at the same court on Tuesday and will be subject to supervision and restrictions. He was also added to the sex offenders register. Helen Nisbet, procurator fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: 'Peter Sugden deliberately conducted a sexualised exchange online with someone he thought to be a 13-year-old girl. 'Following his arrest, his phone was found to contain several images containing child sexual exploitation and abuse. 'Sugden has now been held accountable for his predatory and exploitative conduct, and we hope this prosecution makes clear that we will take action against those who commit this type of offending.' A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: 'We recognise the profound and lasting impact such crimes have on survivors. 'This individual is no longer employed by the Scottish Prison Service.'
Rhyl Journal
21-05-2025
- Rhyl Journal
Prison officer who messaged fake profile of girl, 13, while at work spared jail
Peter Sugden, 46, began communicating with the Kik profile in June 2024, believing it belonged to a young girl from Essex. However he was actually messaging a volunteer from an online protection team, who was managing the decoy account. Sugden, of Falkirk, sent indecent messages and sexual remarks to the fictional teenager over the course of 16 days. So-called paedophile hunters managing the account travelled to his home on June 27 and confronted him, and then contacted police. Sugden was taken to Falkirk police station and made 'full and frank admissions', according to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. He confessed during interview to sending messages before he left for work, at lunchtimes and early in the evening on an almost daily basis. Sugden's mobile phone was examined and found to contain 12 images of child abuse, ranging from category A to C, according to prosecutors. Sugden appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on April 2 and admitted taking or making indecent images between March 2019 and June 2024. He also admitted attempting to indecently communicate with a child. He was given a three-year community payback order at the same court on Tuesday and will be subject to supervision and restrictions. He was also added to the sex offenders register. Helen Nisbet, procurator fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: 'Peter Sugden deliberately conducted a sexualised exchange online with someone he thought to be a 13-year-old girl. 'Following his arrest, his phone was found to contain several images containing child sexual exploitation and abuse. 'Sugden has now been held accountable for his predatory and exploitative conduct, and we hope this prosecution makes clear that we will take action against those who commit this type of offending.' A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: 'We recognise the profound and lasting impact such crimes have on survivors. 'This individual is no longer employed by the Scottish Prison Service.'
