October 2014 – Morrison’ release date is early 2016

January 2012

Paedophile David Morrison jailed for raping 14-month-old girl

A man who raped a 14-month-old girl and posted the images on the internet has been jailed for life with a minimum of four years.

David Morrison, 45, from Grangemouth, was also told that he would be monitored for the rest of his life.

Judge Lord Bonomy imposed a lifelong restriction order, which means Morrison will be detained until he no longer poses a threat to the public.

The alarm was raised after Morrison admitted to a friend he fantasised about sex with children.

He was caught by an international investigation led by Central Scotland Police, which built up evidence that Morrison had raped the child through online chat logs, photographs and expert analysis of veins on his hands.

Lord Bonomy told Morrison: “You have committed unspeakable and incomprehensible acts of depravity towards a child and even invited like-minded paedophiles to share your experience by photographing and transmitting the evidence.”

The judge said Morrison had also indulged in the sharing of images of anonymous abuse of other young children for his own sexual satisfaction.

He told the paedophile that he was obsessed with himself and had indulged his “own deviant fantasies”.

Police have revealed the investigation into Morrison led to 15 other paedophiles in Britain being caught and a further 75 worldwide in 24 countries, including the US, Canada and Sweden.

Senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Barry Blair said: “I think it is important to realise David Morrison is clearly one of the most dangerous sexual predators we have had to investigate and we think that is reflected in the sentence today.

“We are pleased he will remain behind bars until he is deemed to be no longer a threat to the public,” he said.

During the operation detectives brought in a human identification expert – Professor Sue Black from Dundee University – who was able to link an image recovered from a computer to him through the veins on his hand.

Morrison was found to have amassed a total of 13,141 still images and 166 videos of child sex abuse, with some of the material at the most extreme level.

‘Personality disorder’

Officers turned up at his home in December 2010 after concerns were raised about his behaviour. They found a computer connected to the internet downloading files from a website containing indecent images of children while he was not there.

They began seizing computer equipment and during the investigation – dubbed Operation Malta – discovered he had distributed images to 52 email addresses around the world.

Defence counsel Derick Nelson said a report on Morrison revealed he was suffering from “several personality disorders” and was assessed as falling into the category of high risk.

He added: “He realises he still does need help.”

Morrison earlier admitted abusing and raping the child at a house in Grangemouth and possessing and distributing indecent photos of children in 2009 and 2010.

Lord Bonomy told Morrison: “I recognise that you were subjected to abuse, both mental and physical, in your early years which were spent in very deprived circumstances.”

He said flaws in his character had been allowed to blossom resulting in a history of irresponsibility and criminal behaviour.

Morrison was placed on the sex offenders register.