A Stirling dad was caught with hundreds of sickening child abuse photos and videos, a court has heard.
Police raided Steven Anderson’s home after receiving a tip-off illicit files were being downloaded to his computer.
The 43-year-old appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court and admitted possessing the offensive material between August 2022 and March 2023.
He will be sentenced next month and was warned he could be jailed.
Early morning raid
Fiscal depute James Moncrieff said that Police Scotland received information child sexual abuse material had been downloaded to a device at Anderson’s home in Randolph Terrace.
“At 7.35am on March 3 last year, officers from the National Child Abuse Investigations exploitation unit attended at the address.
“The nature of the visit was explained and the officers were afforded entry.”
A extensive search of the home was carried out.
Anderson handed over his mobile phone, while investigators seized a computer system unit from the floor of a first floor office and an external hard drive from a window sill.
“The accused provided a PIN number for a secure folder within his mobile phone,” Mr Moncrieff said.
“He also gave police a password for the system unit.”
Anderson was arrested after police carried out a brief preview check for illicit images on the devices.
Later analysis by cybercrime specialists found 618 obscene photo files and nine videos.
Of those, 52 pictures and two videos were described as at “Category A,” the most depraved level.
The videos had a total running time of 83 minutes.
Rehabilitation
Solicitor Billy Milne said his client had been keen to get his case resolved and had pled guilty at an early stage.
“He has been undertaking a number of rehabilitation steps,” the lawyer said.
Sheriff Keith O’Mahoney told Anderson: “From now on you will be subject to the Sex Offenders Register.
“The period that you remain on this order will be determined at sentencing.”
He added: “All options are open to the court, including imprisonment.”
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