Teen actor had child sex abuse images

A teenage actor, nominated for a top industry award, was caught with almost 300 child sex abuse images, many of them in the most depraved category, at his home.

Nineteen-year-old Nathan McHallam, of Graham Court, Bankfoot, will be supervised for three years and will have to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

He will also have to take part in the

Moving Forward, Making Changes programme run by the Tay Project, aimed at rehabilitating sex offenders.

His name has been added to the Sex Offenders’Register for three years and stringent conditions relating to his behaviour and future use of computers have been put in place.

McHallam was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA award for his role in 2016 short film Crowman.

He was convicted by a jury of being in possession of the images at his home over a three-day period in October, 2018.

The court was told that 274 images were discovered, 151 category A, the most serious, 72 category B and 51 category C.

Passing sentence on Wednesday, Sheriff William Wood said he had not personally viewed the images but added:“I have no doubt they will be vile and repulsive to any right-minded individual.

“There are victims involved in the possession of such images and it’s perhaps something you are not fully aware of.

He added it was“well-known”that people who amassed such images helped to perpetuate a globally abusive industry which had to be“discouraged”.

McHallam has been banned from possessing or owning more than one mobile or computer and must advise his supervising officer and police officers of their serial numbers.

He has also been banned from approaching any child under 18 without prior approval or entering any park or playground where children are likely to be.