Benjamin Young jailed for serious sexual abuse of children

Benjamin Young, 42, was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, March 19, for offences committed against ten children - including one two-year-old - and one adult.

Lord Arthurson imposed an Order for Life Long Restriction on Young, after the first offender pleaded guilty to 32 charges including the sexual abuse and rape of children.

He was previously found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, December 20, for offences between January 2021 and December 2022 mainly in Argyll and Bute.

During sentencing, Lord Arthurson said: "Very occasionally crimes come before the court which are so abhorrent that words are simply not adequate to express appropriate public revulsion.

"Yours, Mr Young, are such crimes.  Your offending has plumbed the very abyss of depravity.  

"It is scarcely possible to believe that any person could do what you have done to your child victims in this case.

"Put short, you sexually abused and raped children as young as two years old, systematically filmed that abuse and then distributed the resulting images and footage online to an network of paedophiles in which network you played a pivotal role. 

"You yourself are plainly a calculating and thoroughly committed paedophile.

"This in my view is one of the very worst cases of its kind ever to come before the High Court.  You can be assured that your sentence today will reflect that dismal reality."

Detective Inspector Adrian Ure, of Police Scotland's National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: "The nature and significant extent of Benjamin Young’s sexual offending was truly appalling.

“Young is directly responsible for creating demand which contributes to the dreadful sexual abuse and suffering of the children in the images and videos he was creating and sharing.

"Detectives worked tirelessly during what was an extensive investigation, and as a direct result Young will now rightly face a custodial sentence and the consequences of his actions.

“The OLR is a unique sentence. It is made up of a minimum period of time of imprisonment called the punishment part – and a lifelong risk management.

"The OLR is a true lifelong sentence designed to protect the public from risk of serious harm.

"Any form of child sexual abuse is a serious criminal offence and is a priority for Police Scotland. We encourage anyone with concerns about a child at risk of abuse, or a potential victim, to contact Police Scotland immediately.”