Youth worker swapped child abuse images

A youth worker caught swapping child abuse images with other perverts online and even encouraging one to rape a baby in disturbing Skype conversations walked free from court yesterday after avoiding a jail term.

Matthew Lynch told police: “I’ve never done anything – I work with children”, when they explained why his home was being raided in November last year.

But an investigation into the contents of his smartphone and laptop revealed horrifying conversations with online paedophiles.

Depute fiscal Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court: “His computers were forensically examined and six indecent images were recovered from Skype.

“They depict boys aged between three and six. Skype chat conversation logs were also found.

“They discuss sexual abuse of a child by another male.”

Lynch was employed as an assistant youth worker with the Dundee Carers Centre when his crime was uncovered. It is understood he left the charity within days of the police raid.

Lynch, 24, of Calder Grove, Edinburgh, pleaded guilty on indictment to charges of downloading child abuse images between March 17 and November 17 last year and distributing them on March 23 last year at an address in Dundee’s Portpatrick Terrace.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael imposed a community payback order with 200 hours unpaid work and two-and-a-half years supervision. Lynch will also be on the sex offenders register for 30 months.