A 25-year-old from Dundee was caught with dozens of sick videos of child abuse following a raid on his home.
Shane Reilly’s mobile phone contained 70 videos of children as young as three-years-old being abused.
Some of the videos were at the highest level of depravity.
Cyber-crime officers also uncovered Reilly’s participation in an online group chat with other paedophiles.
Reilly is remanded in custody ahead of sentencing after he pled guilty to downloading indecent images of children between December 17, 2019 and January 13 last year at his home on Balgarthno Road, Dundee.
Police forced entry to house
The city’s sheriff court heard how officers forced entry to Reilly’s home after receiving intelligence that indecent images were being accessed from the address.
Reilly was not in at the time of the search and no electronic devices were uncovered.
Prosecutor Marie Lyons said: “At 9.30am, while police were still present, the accused returned and was found to be in possession of a mobile phone, which was seized.
“A preview examination found indecent images on the phone including files that were readily accessible to the user.
“A full cyber-crime examination was carried out which included the discovery of a Kik messenger account as well as 70 category A TO C video files.
“Officers found a Kik messenger group chat titled ‘Room 83 girls 3-8′”.
Accused ‘disturbed’ by actions
The court heard how some videos contained children as young as three being abused.
Reilly, a prisoner of HMP Low Moss, gave a “no comment” answer to most of the questions put to him by officers.
At court however, he admitted downloading the vile material as well as failing to appear for a hearing on July 13 this year.
Solicitor Theo Finlay said his client had suffered neglect in his childhood and had experienced a deterioration in his mental health due to increased care responsibilities for his mother.
He told Sheriff Alastair Carmichael: “He (Reilly) began trawling through the internet looking for material – not of this type – and found himself in time looking at these particular images.
“It’s a matter which disturbs him.
“He would like to explore why this occurred, notwithstanding the explanation for him being in a poor mental state at the time.”
Sentence was deferred on Reilly until later this month for social work reports to be prepared.
He was remanded in custody and placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
