A Dundee primary school worker who was found with thousands of child abuse images and videos has avoided jail.
Aaron Scott, who was employed as a catering assistant at an unnamed school in the city, was arrested after police found more than 2,800 still images and 30 videos of children as young as eight on his computer.
He was sacked within weeks of his arrest and later admitted taking or making indecent images of children at his home address between May 20 and 22 last year.
He has now been ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work, reduced from 300 on account of his guilty plea, and has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for three years.
Police swooped on Scott’s home following a tip-off that his computer would contain indecent images of children.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard the stash of images featured young girls who were “heavily made up” and “performing stripteases in a theatrical style”.
They were from a batch of files called the “Lolita Series” which Scott found using special software. He had originally claimed he did not have a sexual interest in children and only used the software to download movies and games.
The 31-year-old has not been able to find work since he was sacked and is living with his parents.
A spokesman for leading child protection charity, NSPCC Scotland said Scott’s actions were “sickening” and called on organisations to work together to prevent similar images being shared.
He said: “Despite working in close proximity to children in a primary school, Scott amassed a collection of appalling images.
“Behind every one was a real child and Scott’s actions have only fuelled the demand for this sickening material to be produced.
“Online child abuse images must not be tolerated. It is vital that tech companies, law enforcement and government work together to prevent this vile material being published and circulated in the first place.”
At Dundee Sheriff Court on Tuesday, Scott was given a Community Payback Order (CPO) with a three-year supervision requirement and specific conduct arrangements.
He must complete the 200 hours unpaid work within nine months.
