November 2020

Rutherglen McDonalds worker in guilty plea after being caught with over 9000 child porn images

A Rutherglen fast food restaurant worker has pled guilty to possessing more than 9000 indecent images of children, some as young as three.

Sick Garry Mason admitted his crimes at Glasgow Sheriff Court last week.

Mason was employed at the McDonalds restaurant on Dalmarnock Road.

The 25-year-old pervert kept his employers in the dark over his looming court appearance and continued to work at the busy fast food restaurant for months after his arrest in February.

The Reformer contacted McDonalds on Monday and a spokesperson told us: “We are taking this extremely seriously and are investigating as a matter of urgency.”

We understand that Mason has since left the company.

He was snared at his parents’ home in Baillieston, after police had received intelligence from Operation NOCAP about his illegal activities.

Officers raided the house, where Mason lives with his parents and younger brother, and recovered three hard drives containing the still and moving images.

Glasgow Sheriff Court was told Mason was arrested and made full admissions when quizzed by police.

Prosecutor Hannah Terrance told the court a full examination recovered 9229 images overall.

She explained: “The vast majority were accessible  and were created by the accused from web browsing activity.

“These images were of male and female children aged between three and 16 years of age.”

The first offender pled guilty to taking or permitting to take or make indecent images of children.

He also admitted possession of indecent photographs of children.

The offences took place between July 30 2018 and February 24 this year.

Tony Callahan, defending, told the court that the offences took place at his family home where he resides with his parents and younger brother.

Sentence was deferred until next month for background reports by Sheriff Alan Mackenzie.

Mason was put on the sex offenders register and granted bail meantime.

September 2020

Pervert found with almost 380,000 indecent images of children denies it was illegal

A pervert found with almost 380,000 indecent images of children on his home computer – who later denied downloading anything illegal – claimed a social worker wouldn’t let him speak in an interview, a court has heard.

Police discovered the massive haul at Andrew Thornton’s then home in Dovehole Avenue.

The 33-year-old pleaded guilty in January to taking, or permitting to be taken or made, indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children between September 2015 and July 2016.

Thornton was due to be sentenced in March, but a decision on how to punish him was deferred so that prosecutors could look into a claim Thornton made to a social worker that he didn’t know what he was downloading was child pornography.

Since then the case has been continued administratively due to the lockdown.

January’s hearing had been told police found around 374,926 indecent still images and 4,442 moving images of children in the raid, which took place on May 24, 2017.

Thornton, currently living at Bulldale Street in Yoker, was back at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week – but once again the case was continued to a later date after concerns were raised about a supplementary social work report.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said he had “huge questions” over whether Thornton’s admission of guilt in January was “anything other than a plea of convenience”.

The sheriff said: “I have a report before me that says Mr Thornton ‘categorically denies seeing a single indecent photograph’. It states that ‘he denies emphatically that any of the recovered images were downloaded and viewed’.

“It says that ‘he at no point took responsibility for this offence, and failed to acknowledge the significance of his conviction’.

“I said before that this case troubled me. I’m not sure that it troubles me any less now than it did when we first had this conversation.”

The sheriff told Thornton: “I know you have no previous convictions and that you have no criminal record; I know your age, and I know your health difficulties.

“It would be highly unusual to send a person in those circumstances to prison – but I want you to understand that I’m not ruling that option out.”

The case was continued until October 27, when the sheriff will also consider an application from the Crown for a sexual offences prevention order

September 2020

Convicted Scots sex beast trawls Tinder for date weeks after prison release

A sex offender who met his victim online has been branded “a danger to women” after he returned to a dating app following his release from jail.

Pervert Steven McGinley joined Tinder just weeks after he was let out of jail for attacking a woman on their first date.

They had arranged the meeting on an online dating app but after tricking his victim into a flat, he sexually assaulted and spat on her.

The victim had to flee to a nearby chip shop to get help after escaping his clutches.

McGinley, 35, was sentenced to 15 months inside – but after his early release he has gone straight back to the dating app in a bid to meet other women.

He has also set up a business selling goods via mail order and is calling himself a “director”.

Former construction engineer McGinley describes himself on Tinder as “flirty and cheeky but has a deep and meaningful side”.

McGinley, originally from Scotstoun, Glasgow, was released from jail in June and in August he set up StevoSocks Ltd.

On his Tinder profile he said he is “trying to explore more”, doesn’t want pen pals and “if we get on I will want to meet up”.

The former soldier said “high vibers” and “educated individuals are preferable” and claims to love dogs.

McGinley’s profile was outed on social media when someone he knew was alerted of his presence on the popular dating app.

Last night, a former friend said: “It beggars belief he is on a dating app when he met his victim on one last year.

“Imagine getting out of prison early and one of the first things you do is set up a Tinder to meet unsuspecting women.

“He is a total creep of a guy. He doesn’t say much at all, he just stares at everyone.

“From his profile he seems like a good guy but after what he did to that poor lassie he shouldn’t be out of prison never mind setting up a business and looking for dates.”

The friend added: “He’d been back on Facebook but when the picture showing his profile was shared on social media, he deleted his account.

“He’s a danger to women and shouldn’t be allowed on anything like that.”

Last year, Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how McGinley, who was placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years, pounced on his victim in his flat after they’d spent an evening in bars.

His terrified victim, who was 23, fled to a nearby chip shop for help after McGinley, who had a previous sexual offence, attacked her.

Following their night out, the woman wanted to go home so McGinley said he would accompany her to the train station.

He lured her to his Whiteinch flat to pick up a jacket.

When they arrived, she asked to use the toilet and, when she returned, McGinley’s shoes were off and he started to behave strangely.

When she tried to leave, McGinley told her he would decide when she could go.

Prosecutor Amanda Gallagher said: “The woman went to the toilet and when she returned McGinley’s shoes were off.

“She asked when they were leaving and that’s when McGinley acted particularly erratic. He was saying things that didn’t make sense.”

The woman asked McGinley about them heading to the train station, to which he replied: “Yes but I didn’t say when.”

McGinley then jumped on top of the woman and sexually assaulted her.

He spat on her face and she fought him off before fleeing to a chip shop where she was able to call a taxi.

McGinley admitted the attack in court last November and in December he was jailed for 15 months.

Free dating apps don’t screen for sex offenders because the platforms do not have access to reliable information for ­background checks.

Responsibility for policing the app is left to users themselves.