ASHLEY WILTSHIRE – LAIDE, WESTER ROSS

Paedophile watched sick child abuse clip – then discussed price for the ‘full video

The clip of a girl as young as five been abused by a man was discovered when Ashley Wiltshire’s phone was investigated after he sent sexual messages to teen girls.

A Highland paedophile watched a short clip of a girl as young as five being sexually abused and then requested the price for the
“full video”, a court has heard.

Ashley Wiltshire’s sickening conversation with a fellow paedophile was revealed at Inverness Sheriff Court as he pleaded guilty to a number of sex charges, including communicating indecently with children.

Wiltshire, 50, also admitted downloading indecent images of children.

Fiscal depute Karen Poke told the court Wiltshire struck up a conversation with a 14-year-old girl on WhatApp between December 18 2022 and January 2 2023.

Two girls targeted on WhatsApp

She said: “On January 2, 2023, the accused was seen to ask: How old are you again?’ to which the witness replied she was 14.

“The accused continued to send sexual messages describing sexual activity he wished to carry out with her. He then sent two photographs of a penis.”

The court heard that it was after this discovery that Wiltshire’s own phone was investigated, and a conversation was found with another girl, who informed him that she was 15.

“The accused conversed in a sexualised manner with the user and described acts he wished to carry out,” Ms Poke said.

The subsequent police investigation also turned up a 19-second video clip that was deemed to be category A meaning it featured the most serious kind of abuse.

The prosecutor told Sheriff Gary Aitken that this footage showed a young girl aged between five and eight years old being subjected to abuse by an adult male.

Ms Poke explained that Wiltshire had received the file over the Telegram app.

She added: “After which the accused and the user discussed what price a full video would be.”

Solicitor David Patterson for Wiltshire said his client was a first offender who had lost his job as a result of his guilty plea.

He said: “Nothing, clearly, can excuse this type of behaviour.”

Referring Sheriff Aitken to the content of a presentencing report, Mr Patterson said: “He does provide some explanation to how he found himself in this situation.

“Does accept that conduct such as this is wholly unacceptable.

“(He) does express a desire to ensure that there is no repeat of this type of behaviour.