'Deplorable' and 'predatory' former footballer jailed after admitting child sexual abuse
30 July 2024, 12:28
Former pro-footballer Ian Heddle has been handed a six year extended sentence for sexually assaulting a young girl in Thailand and possessing more than 270,000 indecent images of children.
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The 61-year-old pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to three counts, including creating three videos of himself assaulting his victim in 2019. Police believe she was eight years old.
Heddle, who is originally from Dunfermline, made a career in Scottish football in the 1980s and 1990s when he played as a midfielder for St Johnstone and Dunfermline Athletic, among other Scottish clubs.
Police Scotland arrested Heddle at Edinburgh Airport as he was attempting to return to his home in Thailand. Upon seizing his devices, officers uncovered hundreds of thousands of indecent images as well as more than 4,000 videos.
The retired midfielder's face was not visible in the footage of him abusing the girl while she slept. He could only be identified through his hands, where he was wearing a distinctive wedding band.
Appearing via video link, he did not react throughout the sentencing.
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The court heard the judge had "reflected carefully" on Heddle's early admission of guilt, a social work report and a letter from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation - a charity which helps those at risk of committing child sexual abuse.
The letter indicated that Heddle had contacted the organisation and voluntarily attended psychotherapy treatment, following his arrest. A representative wrote: "Mr Heddle is an individual who was wracked with guilt, shame and remorse after his arrest".
The judge sentenced Heddle to four years in prison followed by a further two years on licence "to ensure the public is adequately protected".
Detective Inspector Adrian Ure of National Child Abuse Investigations Unit said: “Heddle’s behaviour was deplorable with no thought to the young child he sexually assaulted or the victims depicted in the images and videos he was viewing.
“His sentencing sends a clear message that anyone found guilty of these offences will be brought to justice.
“Child protection is a priority for Police Scotland and our partners and we will use the latest technologies and tactics to identify offenders, prevent offending and to protect children from sexual exploitation.
“We treat all reports of sexual crime with the utmost seriousness and will investigate all reports of sexual offences thoroughly in order to bring perpetrators of such crimes to justice, while at the same time providing all the necessary support.”
Duncan Burrage, a National Crime Agency International Liaison Officer, said: “Offenders like Ian Heddle think that they won’t get caught by travelling to the other side of the world to conduct child abuse.
“However, the NCA has the capabilities to identify and disrupt them. Borders are not a barrier; we work closely with our partners in the UK and overseas to ensure that Britons committing child abuse offences abroad are prosecuted and vulnerable children are safeguarded, wherever they are in the world."
Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offending Katrina Parkes added: “British nationals who sexually abuse children abroad will face justice here. Ian Heddle is a predatory individual who poses a danger to young children.
"Where legislation allows us to prosecute those who abuse children, we will use every power available to ensure offenders are identified and held accountable.
"We will continue to work with specialist police, international partners, and cybercrime teams to track down and prosecute those who target children. I would urge anyone with information or knowledge of offending of this kind to come forward and report it as soon as they can.”
