February 7, 2017
Scotland

Wind turbine boss caught with thousands of child abuse images

John Spink downloaded extreme porn also showing sex with animals. | STV | stv.tv

A former wind turbine boss was warned he faces jail after being found with more than 20,000 child abuse images.

John Spink’s house in Arbroath, Angus, was raided by police last year following a tip-off.

Spink – who worked across Europe as a site manager for a wind turbine manufacturer – had his laptop, iPad and external hard drive seized.

A forensic examination revealed more than 20,000 still images and more than 100 videos of child abuse – some at the most extreme level – as well as two videos of a woman having sex with a horse.

Spink – who was previously convicted of an assault that left his victim with damage to his retinas – was warned: “A custodial sentence is extremely likely.”

Fiscal depute Kirsten Letford told Dundee Sheriff Court on Tuesday: “The accused is employed as a manager for a wind turbine company and works abroad for periods.

“He has four previous convictions – none analogous to this but one on indictment for assault to severe injury that resulted in a £3000 fine and £2000 compensation.

“At 8.20am on February 17 last year police attended his home to execute a search warrant.

“An examination uncovered 16,873 indecent images of children on the laptop as well as 103 videos.

“On his iPad there were 55 indecent images and on the hard drive there were 4823 indecent images and 17 videos.

“An examination of the search terms on the iPad shows he had searched for indecent images.

“There were videos on both the laptop and the hard drive showing bestiality involving a woman and a horse.”

Spink, 45, of Cairnie Street, Arbroath, pleaded guilty to downloading indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography depicting bestiality between April 2015 and February 2016.

Defence solicitor Nicola Brown said: “He lost his employment as a result of this offence coming to light.

“He has been recently diagnosed with a mental health condition as a result of a severe physical attack on him some ten years ago that has gone undiagnosed until now.”

Sheriff Alastair Brown deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports.

Sheriff Brown said: “This is quite a serious example of this type of offence in terms of the number of images.

“You will be subject to the notification requirements of the sexual offences legislation from now.”