Prison officer believed he was messaging 13-year-old

A former prison officer who delivered rehab courses to sex offenders has admitted attempting to chat online with a girl he thought was 13 years old.

Peter Sugden, 46, was also caught with child abuse and bestiality material after police raided his home in Falkirk in June last year.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard how he was caught in a sting by a London group of paedophile hunters, who contacted police after confronting him.

The former HMP Edinburgh officer was given 210 hours of unpaid work and put under supervision and placed on the sex offenders register for three years.

The court heard that 12 child sex images and a video were found in the police raid.

Two of the photographs were considered Category A, the most serious kind.

Solicitor Sarah McIlwham, defending, said Sugden had no previous convictions and had since left his family home.

She said: “He was a happily married man – married for over 20 years.

“Up until this offence, he’d been working in SPS as a prison officer for in excess of 22 years.

“These offences have caused great distress, not only to his ex-wife and daughters but also to his parents and immediate family.”

Sugden admitted indecently communicating with someone he thought was a child called Abbie – but was in fact an adult decoy.

He admitted possessing and downloading child abuse material, and possessing extreme porn including bestiality images.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that he had since sought rehabilitation and was engaging with a child abuse prevention charity.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Craig Harris imposed a string of strict conduct requirements affecting Sugden’s internet use.

He 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.”

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.”