A 32-year-old man has been convicted of multiple violent and sexual offences on women and girls.
John McKechnie pleaded guilty to 14 offences and has now been found guilty of a further two following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
The offences included rape, domestic offending and possession of incident images of children.
His offending took place between 2015 and 2022 and took place in the West Lothian area.
Detective Inspector Adrian Ure, National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, Police Scotland said:“John McKechnie’s offending and behaviour was appalling. He showed complete and utter contempt for the abuse he inflicted upon his victims, and the horrific sexual abuse featuring in the images and videos he was viewing.
“There is no hiding place for these offenders, and as a result of our investigation, he will now rightly face the consequences of his actions.
“Any form of child sexual abuse is a serious criminal offence and is a priority for Police Scotland.
“We encourage anyone with concerns about a child at risk of abuse, or a potential victim, to contact police immediately.”
McKechnie is due to be sentenced on Thursday, 27 June.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
