Greig Dow

An Aberdeen man convicted of child sexual offences has been returned to prison after authorities discovered more indecent images in his possession. Greig Dow, aged 43, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Friday, where he was sentenced for accessing prohibited material depicting young girls.

Dow had previously been imprisoned in 2023 following a police raid on his home, which uncovered thousands of images and videos, including evidence of him sexually assaulting a child. Released on licence on 12 January 2024, he was instructed to surrender any devices capable of internet access or storing communications. He complied by handing over a laptop, but forensic analysis revealed that USB devices had been connected to it, suggesting attempts to access or store illicit content.

Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton detailed the findings to the court: "Analysis found 1,406 inaccessible category-C still images, and one inaccessible category-C video. These featured girls aged between seven and 13 years of age engaged in sexualised posing." The material was deemed to originate from before his 2023 imprisonment, but Dow's possession of it post-release constituted a breach. Additional items, including a canister of CS liquid and two mobile phone SIM cards, were found at his Dee Street address during a subsequent search after his licence was revoked.

Defence solicitor John Hardie argued that the images were "hangovers" from Dow's prior conviction and not indicative of new interactions: "His possession of them, in the sense he has knowledge and control of them, is only to the extent of being in his property. This is not additional interaction with these devices subsequent to release from custody." However, Sheriff Morag McLaughlin rejected claims of inadvertent access, stating: "It sounds to me a lot more deliberate. It was a device that was plugged in, so it wasn’t lying in a drawer that he wasn’t aware of. It was being used."

The sheriff imposed a sentence of 23 months' imprisonment, to be served at HMP Grampian, extending Dow's incarceration until at least 2027. She also ordered an 11-month supervised release period upon his eventual freedom, in addition to his indefinite notification requirements as a registered sex offender. This case, reported by The Press and Journal, underscores ongoing monitoring challenges for individuals on licence for serious sexual offences.