Theatre manager tries to blame lockdown as reason for downloading child abuse images

CW: This story contains details of child sexual abuse.

Last year, Liam Purves was arrested after it was discovered that he had downloaded images of children being raped by adults on his various devices. Purves had previously held management positions at the Edinburgh Playhouse and The Lyceum Theatre.

According to his defense attorney, Purves claimed he became “vulnerable and isolated” during the lockdown period, leading him to download pictures of children as young as three years old being sexually abused. Purves pleaded guilty to a charge of making indecent images of children.

Fiscal depute Chelsea Martin told the capital’s sheriff court police officers received intelligence Purves had been accessing indecent images of children. He was arrested on March 25th, 2023.

A number of devices were seized from his property, and Purves was said to have told officers, “I have seen images, but I am not into that.”

A forensic examination of his mobile phone revealed 63 images, 28 of which were rated as Category A—the most depraved end of the scale.

Ms. Martin told the court the most serious pictures showed “girls and boys aged between three and eight years old” being raped by adults while others depicted children posing sexually.

While awaiting sentencing next month, Purves is on the Sex Offenders Register on an interim basis.

This developing story will be updated with information as it becomes available.