Teen ‘strayed dangerously into a dark world’ of sick images from age of 14

An Inverness teenager caught with 500 indecent images of children and 96 illegal videos had “strayed dangerously into a dark world”, a court has heard.

The files were found on devices belonging to 19-year-old Jake Milne after police searched his Inverness home.

They were created between May 19 2019 and May 31 2023, meaning Milne would have been just 14 when the offending began.

Milne, who has spent eight months on remand following his arrest, appeared via videolink from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing, having admitted a single charge relating to the downloading of the pictures and videos.

Fiscal depute Emily Hood told the court that it was 9am on May 31 last year when officers executed a search warrant at Milne’s home in Galloway Drive.

She said that “a number of devices belonging to the accused were seized and examination of the three devices was carried out”.

Investigations discovered 37 accessible and 66 inaccessible still images that were classified as category A, the most severe, along with 74 accessible category-A videos. The devices contained other obscene images and videos.

Defence agent Shahid Latif, for Milne, told the court his client had no previous convictions but conceded: “This has been a considerable problem for this young man over a period of time.

“Over that period, he strayed dangerously into a dark world.”

Sheriff David Harvie placed the teenager on a community payback order with three years supervision and 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.

He also placed Milne on the sex offenders register for three years.