Dad claims indecent images were ‘coping mechanism’

A dad caught with hours worth of illegal video claimed he downloaded the sick images as a “coping mechanism” following family bereavement.

Paul Fettig, formerly of Montrose, stored hundreds of images of child abuse and more than 33 hours of extreme pornography involving animals.

Despite the apparently restricted focus of his internet searches and activity, he claimed to have been clicking on material at random.

Solicitor Zahrah Ahmad said: “Mr Fettig developed an addiction to pornography as a coping method following the death of a grandparent.

“He would download images onto his computer, often clicking on a number of different files at once, no matter what they were. It was chaotic.”

Ms Ahmad said there had been “a large number of pornographic images and a much smaller number of indecent images”.

Perth Sheriff Court heard the 49-year-old was caught after his former partner discovered the material on computer equipment and contacted police.

Fettig had split up with the woman after almost a decade together, leaving computer hard drives and a mobile phone.

He told her to dispose of the items if she did not want them, but when she opened them she found the graphic content.

Fettig, who now lives in Rochdale, admitted having indecent images of children in Montrose between 2007 and June 2016.

He also admitted having extreme pornography involving women and dogs between March 2011 and June 2016.

He was made subject to an 18-month community payback order and placed on the sex offenders register.