A paedophile caught with thousands of sick images and videos of child abuse has been locked up.
Former company director Glyn Griffiths, 55, used 22 different online messenger platforms to download the vile material which featured children as young as two months old being abused.
Nearly 4,000 images and videos – many at the highest level of depravity – were recovered on a mobile phone and laptop following a raid on the home Griffiths shared with his wife and adult children.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how Griffiths suffered from depression following the collapse of his business in 2014, as well as acting as full-time carer for his wife.
However, a sheriff ruled only a prison sentence could mark the gravity of Griffiths’ crime.
“I have to take into account not only the number of images but the category they fall into,” Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC said.
“A significant amount of those images fall into categories A and B.
“You will understand that downloading and viewing indecent images creates a demand and that in itself is based on the physical and sexual abuse of children.
“I am afraid that given the nature of these offences, I require to send you to jail.”
‘Things have got out of hand’
Griffiths, who was working as a delivery driver at the time of his arrest, was snared after police received intelligence indecent images were being accessed from his address through the Mega storage platform.
His wife and son answered the door to police, who then searched the address.
Fiscal depute Emma Farmer said: “The accused was at work at the time.
“A systematic search was carried out.
“A laptop was seized from a hallway cupboard.
“The accused was traced by detective constables at his place of work in Cupar.”
Following his arrest, Griffiths said: “I have just been stupid.
“Things have got out of hand. I have had problems with erotic stuff.
“Just got out of hand with stuff. I haven’t taken pictures.”
Sick material discovered
Cyber crime officers analysed the laptop and discovered 119 images and 112 videos featuring children aged between three months and 16 years being abused.
A mobile phone seized from Griffiths uncovered abuse images and video shared across multiple online messenger platforms.
The material featured boys and girls aged between two months and 16 years.
In total, 3,762 images and videos were recovered from the devices.
The total run-time of the videos was 23 hours and 30 minutes.
Jailed
Griffiths, of Bower Park, Gateside, previously pled guilty to taking or permitting to be taken indecent images between May 16, 2015 and October 26, 2017 and possessing such material between May 16, 2015 and September 29, 2020.
Solicitor Theo Finlay said: “He has been quite frank and straightforward with the author of the social work report.
“He had a propensity to view pornographic images and he then tipped into the viewing of these particular images.
“He suffered from depression and sought solace through the misuse of alcohol.
“He now expresses his abhorrence at his involvement in this offending.”
Griffiths was sentenced to 15 months in prison and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.
