January 2015
Convicted paedophile back in court after breaching SOPO
A CONVICTED sex offender who failed to notify police he had a passport has been fined £300 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
Thomas Marshall, 67, was supposed to declare to police within three days that he had a passport to comply with the terms of the Sex Offenders Register.
The former postman was jailed for three years in 2008 for having sex with a 15-year-old boy in an Edinburgh park and also being in possession of more than 1,000 depraved photographs of children at a house in Peebles after police cracked an international paedophile ring.
Some of the disturbing images found on Marshall’s computer featured sexual abuse of babies.
He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
Defence lawyer Iain Burke said his client had not read the information properly about handing in the passport and explained Marshall’s mind “had been in a blur” following his conviction. He added: “He did not intend to hide the fact he had a passport and never used it.”
The offence came to light last February when information about his passport was received and police visited his home in Rennie Court, Kelso.
Sheriff Peter Paterson said it was a serious matter but accepted the explanation and imposed a fine
