A serial sex offender who changed his name to hide his past has been freed from prison to prove he can behave himself.
Steven Perrie, convicted three times for having child abuse material, breached stringent conditions by living with a woman and a child one year after changing his name to Steven MacDonald.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the Angus paedophile paid £42.44 to legally change his name by deed poll.
Perrie, 56, was warned he faced a jail sentence after previously pleading guilty to breaching the terms of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order between May 2019 and November 2020.
On Monday, however, Perrie was released on bail by Sheriff Richard McFarlane to be of good behaviour.
‘A risk of serious harm in the community’
The court heard how Perrie had told social workers he believed he was not a risk to the public and viewed the recent offences as “minor”.
Sheriff McFarlane said: “What is required of you is not rocket science.
“The author of the report is concerned about you.
“You do not see yourself as presenting a risk to anyone.
“You perceive the offences as minor and the outcome of bureaucratic procedures.
“The report states that you pose a risk of serious harm in the community.
“Against that, you are described as a workaholic and a hard grafter.
“I find the question of what the appropriate punishment is not an easy one to arrive to.”
Search for child abuse material uncovered credit card
It was revealed how Perrie’s home was searched after suspicions arose he had child abuse material.
Officers later found a bank card under his new name.
Fiscal depute Lora Apostolova added Perrie was operating a building firm.
Perrie, of King Street, Montrose, admitted failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements by having a Barclays Mastercard between May 1 2019 and November 19 2020.
He admitted breaking a ban on having contact with children numerous times between September 2019 and November last year.
Perrie also admitted breaking the SOPO, which expires in 2024, by engaging in a relationship with a 39-year-old woman in Aberdeen and Brechin without informing the offender management unit.
He also admitted owning a Facebook Portal device last November.
‘Disgusting and repulsive’ offences
Perrie was jailed in 2004 for being caught with a massive haul of child abuse material, including 400,000 images and 16,000 video clips.
He was jailed again for 36 months in 2005 for similar offences before being caught for a third time.
In 2012, Perrie was sentenced to eight years in prison by Lord Uist who told him the material he was found with was “disgusting and repulsive.”
Solicitor Scott Norrie said: “The offences individually are not the most serious.
“Clearly, he has committed serious offences in the past which as attracted a High Court conviction.
“He accepts how stupid, negligent and naïve that he has been in breaching these conditions.”
Sentence was deferred on Perrie until August for a further social work to be prepared and for him to be of good behaviour.
Sheriff McFarlane added: “If there’s any hint of you breaching any of the requirements then the decision will be an easy one for me.”
Perrie was released on bail.
