A sex offender jailed after amassing an enormous stash of child abuse images “as a hobby” was handed back a USB stick containing some of the horrific images when he was released from prison, a court heard today.
Kenneth Stalker served a 16-month jail term after “collecting” more than 25,000 sick images on his computer.
But when he was released he was given back property including a USB stick.
He plugged it into his computer and discovered it contained thousands of indecent images of children.
His lawyer said that “triggered” him to go on to download more on to his mobile phone.
The stash was uncovered when police monitoring him in the community under his sex offender registration found some of the photos stored on his phone.
They then took apart his computer and discovered he had hidden the USB drive in the casing of his computer’s hard drive in a bid to hide his actions from detection.
Fiscal depute Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court: “This was a sophisticated action taken to stop anyone finding it.
“In total there were 3941 indecent images of children found across the hard drive and the mobile phone.”
Stalker, 39, of Lordburn, Arbroath, pleaded guilty on indictment to taking or making indecent images of children and possessing indecent images of children between June 1 2017 and October 5 2017.
He further admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice on June 1 2017.
Defence solicitor Ian Myles said: “His explanation is that once released from his previous sentence and on having some property returned he came across a USB drive that had images thereon and that’s what he plugged in to his computer.
“That’s what had been on the hard drive when it was examined.
“He accepts that was a trigger and he thereafter began to look at images on his mobile phone.
“He is under no illusions about what is going to happen to him today.”
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC deferred sentence until later this month and remanded Stalker in custody meantime.
She said: “He is not going to be avoiding custody.
“He has a previous conviction and this makes this conviction all the more serious.”
Stalker was also placed on the sex offenders register meantime.
In 2013 Stalker was jailed for 16 months and placed on a three-year supervised release order after police found an enormous stash of almost 25,000 indecent images on his computers.
The court heard he downloaded them over the period of two years to “give him the thrill his life was lacking”.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Stalker “made it his occupation” to scour sick internet sites “filtering through” pictures to find the ones he wanted to add to his computer store.
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