A Stirling father caught with hundreds of pornographic pictures and videos of children as young as five posing sexually or being abused was given a direct alternative to a prison sentence.
Police from the National Child Abuse Investigations Exploitation Unit raided Steven Anderson’s home in Randolph Terrace in March last year, after receiving a tip-off abuse material was being downloaded to an internet connection at the address.
Investigators seized a computer system unit and an external hard drive and Anderson surrendered his mobile phone.
Across the three devices, cybercrime specialists identified 618 indecent photo files and nine videos.
A total of 52 pictures and two videos were rated as Category A, the most serious level.
Stirling Sheriff Court heard the ages of the children featured ranged from 14 down to just five.
The videos had a total running time of 83 minutes.
Work probe
Anderson, 44, a first offender, appeared for sentence after pleading guilty last month to downloading and possessing the filth.
Solicitor Ken Dalling, defending, said his client is now the subject of an investigation at work, which was not specified in court.
Mr Dalling said: “He tells me that recently, while he remains in full-time employment, he has been suspended by his employer in connection with this.
“The question, I think, that is focusing his employer is whether there was any misuse made of computer devices within their control.
“He is adamant that there was not.
“He bitterly regrets the behaviour that brings him to court, he appreciates the seriousness of it, the impact of it on others, and he does not seek to hide from that.”
Mr Dalling said Anderson had already been engaging voluntarily in a treatment scheme to address his offending.
He added: “He has the support of his wife.”
Direct alternative to prison
Sheriff Keith O’Mahony placed Anderson on a 7pm to 7am curfew for eight months, sentenced him to 200 hours of unpaid work, ordered him to attend a sex offender treatment project, and placed him under social work supervision for three years and on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.
He said: “I consider I can, just, deal with this in a non-custodial manner.
“However, this is a direct alternative to custody.
“If you breach this order, you’ll leave me with no alternative but to imprison you.”
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