Traffic Cop Busted for Hoarding Sick Child Abuse Files for Four Years
Disgraced traffic officer Alan Mitchell kept vile child abuse files at his family’s detached cottage for over four years. The 47-year-old lost his job, was kicked out of the family home, banned from seeing his own children, and now faces losing the property altogether.
Mitchell admitted his filthy crime at Ayr Sheriff Court last month, pleading guilty to breaking Section 52A(1) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 for possessing indecent photos of children. The offending spanned from September 2015 to October 2019 at his Alloway family home — now up for sale.
Life in Ruins: From Policing to Pariah
After his resignation in disgrace, Mitchell is now living with his parents amid heavy social work involvement. His lawyer, Ian Gillies, revealed social workers hope Mitchell might one day have supervised contact with his children.
But things aren’t looking rosy for the former officer. Judge Scott Pattison warned Mitchell he escaped prison “by the slimmest of margins” due to the gravity of his offences.
Harsh Sentence: Tagged, Monitored, and Under Strict Curfew
- Three-year Community Payback Order under social worker supervision
- Mandatory attendance of “Moving Forward: Making Changes” sex offender rehabilitation programme
- Restricted to owning only one internet-enabled device, subject to monitoring
- Electronics and new home moves require approval and risk assessments
- Ban on contact with anyone under 18 without social worker consent
- 300 hours unpaid work to be completed within 18 months
- Lengthy 10-month electronic tagging and curfew at parents’ home (7pm to 7am)
- Five years on the Sex Offenders’ Register
- Return to court later this year for progress review
The sheriff concluded with a “fairly extensive Restriction of Liberty Order” to keep Mitchell under tight control. The former cop’s life has been shattered beyond repair.
