Man who downloaded child abuse pics told it is not a victimless crime
A man who downloaded child sex abuse pictures at a civil engineering company’s premises near Perth was told he had not committed a victimless crime.
Imposing a community payback order as a “punitive”element for what he had done, Sheriff Gillian Wade said:“The viewing of indecent images of children is a serious offence as children somewhere are seriously abused in the making of these images.”
Thirty-year-old Matthew McCann was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work after he admitted having the child sex abuse pictures at Kilmac Ltd, Glendevon House, Old Gallows Road, Perth, between November 22 and 27, 2017.
In a bid to rehabilitate the accused, he will also have to take part in the Moving Forward, Making Changes programme. The groupbased treatment programme for sex offenders was described by the sheriff as“onerous.”
“It usually takes a period of three years to deliver and it goes through various stages.”
She explained that the rehabilitation aspect of the course would be“a protection for him - and a protection for the public.”
Solicitor David Holmes said since being freed on bail, the accused had been subject to “regular visits”by police to ensure he was complying with strict conditions regarding his internet use.
“His mother confirms that 10-15 visits have been carried out,”he added. “There have been regular checks and nothing was found.”
McCann, of Park View, Blackness Road, Dundee, also had his name added to the sex offenders’register.
The court was told the accused had lost his job as a result of the incident.