Fugitive who fled to Thailand jailed for possessing indecent images

A man convicted in 2014 of possessing indecent images of children and who fled the UK before he could be sentenced, has been sent to prison for 18 months and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years after being extradited back from Asia.

William Dempster (46), originally from the Tayside area but who lived in Lanarkshire, was sentenced when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court today, Monday, 14 November 2022.

He had been found with over 60,000 indecent images and convicted of the offences in May 2014. He failed to appear at court for the subsequent sentencing hearing and enquiries revealed that he had travelled to Bangkok in Thailand via Heathrow Airport.

In 2021, following a legal change, the Thai authorities were able to consider Dempster’s extradition.

Officers from Police Scotland’s Extradition Unit carried out extensive enquiries, which established his whereabouts, and the fugitive was arrested in the coastal city of Pattaya as a result of a joint operation involving Police Scotland, National Crime Agency and Royal Thai Police officers and with the assistance of the Thailand Office of the Attorney General.

On Friday, 23 September 2022, he was extradited back to Scotland.

Welcoming his sentence, Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Livingstone, of Police Scotland said:

“Police Scotland officers are committed to relentlessly pursuing criminals who think they are untouchable or above the law and Dempster thought he could evade justice by fleeing the country.

"Our officers worked tirelessly in partnership with our law enforcement colleagues and did not give up on arresting him and bringing him back to Scotland to face the consequences of his crimes.

“I am grateful and pleased to acknowledge the assistance from colleagues in this country and abroad in locating and arresting Dempster which has culminated in this positive and satisfying conclusion today.”