Sex offender admits placing images on his mother’s laptop

A repeat sex offender who downloaded a large number of child abuse images on to his mother’s laptop was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing yesterday.

James Stewart had avoided a prison sentence on an identical charge just months before creating a new hoard of indecent images of children.

Police working on a tip-off raided his flat in Dundee and his mother’s home in Arbroath.

They found images stored on a hard drive, an iPad and on a computer belonging to Stewart’s mother.

He now faces a lengthy jail term after a sheriff told him he had “completely subverted” the three-year community order he was placed on in early 2015.

Depute fiscal Trina Sinclair told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The accused is a repeat offender and a registered sex offender having been convicted in January 2015.

“On November 19 2015 police received intelligence that a device connected to the internet had been downloading indecent images of children.

“The accused’s property was searched along with his mother’s address.

“Equipment was seized for examination.”

Child abuse images – some at the most serious level – were discovered on a PC tower and a hard drive as were videos running to five hours and 49 minutes.

Miss Sinclair added: “A Toshiba laptop owned by his mother was examined. The hard drive had been connected to it previously.

“It contained 174 images of males and females aged five to 15.

“His mother denied any knowledge of the content.”

Stewart, 42, of Strathairlie Avenue, Arbroath, pleaded guilty on indictment to downloading indecent images of children in October and November 2015.

Defence solicitor David Sinclair said: “He is living with his mother now. He’s aware he appears on a serious matter and he has breached his previous court orders as a result.”

Sheriff George Way deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports and remanded Stewart in custody in the meantime.

He said: “This is utterly unacceptable and disgusting behaviour. He basically went behind the court’s back and did it again. Faced with a completely deliberate subversion of that order, until I know children can be protected from him he will be remanded in custody.”

He is living with his mother now. He’s aware he appears on a serious matter and he has breached his previous court orders as a result. DAVID SINCLAIR

DEFENCE SOLICITOR

COURT: Police found large number of illegal images on devices accessed by man