Alan MacPherson

Alan MacPherson, 83, of Stenhousemuir, was sentenced to four years in custody at Falkirk Sheriff Court after admitting to downloading, possessing, and distributing child sexual abuse material over a 14-year period. The court heard that police discovered more than two million images across nine electronic devices seized from his home, with over 805,000 images identified as depicting child sexual abuse.

Prosecutor Rachel Wallace noted that the collection is considered the largest of its kind ever seized by Police Scotland. MacPherson was identified after his IP address was traced during an investigation involving an undercover officer to whom he had distributed serious indecent material.

Sheriff Mayram Labaki described the scale of the offending as exceptional and noted the defendant's unremorseful attitude toward the victims. In addition to the four-year custodial sentence, MacPherson was ordered to complete three years of supervision following his release and was placed on the sex offenders register for life.