A judge with a history of letting violent criminals roam free is under scrutiny for allowing a deranged pedophile to avoid jail time. Despite pleading guilty last year to two charges of making and possessing pornographic images of children and animals, David Michael Todd’s sentence was deferred.
According to The Courier, the 75-year-old retired banker was caught with “some of the worst child sexual abuse images shocked police had ever recovered.”
In addition to possessing horrific images of “newborn babies being raped, tortured, and forced into abuse with animals,” Todd also pleaded guilty to taking inappropriate photographs of children being sexually abused in Dundee, Scotland between 2018 and 2022.
The photographs were found after police received a tip that child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) were being downloaded at Todd’s home in March of 2022. In total, nearly 1,300 images were recovered, 89 of which were classified as Category A, which are images involving sexual abuse of the worst kind.
Addressing the court, Prosecutor Lynne Mannion detailed some of the disturbing CSAM found in Todd’s possession and the raid on Todd’s residence executed by police.
“Police received confidential information devices containing child sexual abuse images had connected with the internet at his home. At around 9 a.m. officers executed their warrant. He and his wife were cautioned, and several devices were found containing child sexual abuse images.”
Concluding, she said that “officers from the joint investigation unit described the images as some of the worst they had ever seen. They included the rape, torture and abuse of newborn babies and young children, as well as children being forced into sexual acts with animals.”
Mannion added: “the accused is 75 years old and has no previous convictions. He is retired but previously worked for the World Bank.” Todd also worked for educational institutions and government organizations including the Department for International Development.
Although Todd pleaded guilty to two charges, including “making or taking, or permitting to take, photographs of children being sexually abused” and “possessing extreme pornographic images of animals being sexually abused,” his sentence was deferred by Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown, who imposed a three-year supervision order instead of prison time. She also ordered Todd to attend a sex offender rehabilitation group.
This is not the first time a disturbed criminal has gone free under Sheriff Martin-Brown’s watch.
Last month, she refused to order a man who assaulted a police officer to fulfill his community service because “it would be too difficult to organize around his childcare responsibilities.”
Additionally, after being notified about 31-year-old Jason Glen’s vacation plans, she imposed a 67-day curfew that will be completed in time for his holiday in April.
“The social work report says a restriction of liberty order would be appropriate, along with unpaid work, but that would be difficult given your childcare responsibilities,” explained Martin-Brown.
In 2022, Glen was approached in his car by police, who thought he was parked suspiciously. As Constable Paul Benson attempted to take the keys out of the ignition, Glen reversed his car, causing lifelong injuries.
Similarly, in October of last year, a wealthy entrepreneur found guilty of breaking another man’s jaw in two places was permitted to walk free from court after Martin-Brown said “there were positive aspects in his social work report” and he has “made changes to his life since the vicious assault.”
Wattie Milne, who owns a construction company, had been captured on security footage attacking Thomas Boyd after a fight broke out at a bar. In addition to breaking Boyd’s jaw in two places, he also “suffered loosened and blackened teeth.”
