An Angus IT teacher is facing a jail sentence after being caught with a vile haul of child sex abuse photos.
Monifieth High School teacher Angus Neil McCormack had some 7,600 images and more than 10 hours of video of children mainly boys being abused. The material was uncovered by police who took the 50-year-old from the classroom of the Angus secondary to execute a search warrant at his home in February.
The haul, involving infants and children up to 16 and including material at the most serious level of the scale used by the courts, was found on computers at his home.
Only McCormack had access to the network and officers also uncovered image logs from the Skype communication network showing the accused sharing files online.
McCormack, of Lorraine Road, Dundee, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court on Thursday where he admitted an indictment containing a charge that he distributed or showed indecent photographs and pseudo-photos of children at an address in Clayhills Gardens, Birkhill, on October 8 last year.
He further admitted between June 23 and October 22 last year permitting to be taken or making indecent photos or pseudo-photos of children.
The court heard Tayside Police received a tip-off that McCormack was involved in the distribution of child abuse images and were granted a search warrant for the accused’s home, which he shared with his wife of 26 years. The couple have no children.
Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie said that on November 8, officers went to Monifieth High and spoke to the head teacher, who arranged for McCormack to be escorted to a meeting room.
They then took him to his home and found computers and hard drives, a number of which were taken for examination.
Sheriff Kevin Veal deferred sentence until November 15 for reports and granted bail. The accused was also placed on the sex offenders register.
”I have to say that having regard to the narrative … Mr McCormack had better face up to the fact that he is likely to face imprisonment at the end of the day, although I have an open mind on the final outcome depending what is contained in the reports.”
McCormack was immediately suspended by Angus Council following his arrest and has remained so.
A council spokesman said: ”Following Mr McCormack’s appearance in court today, the council will now be dealing with the matter within the terms of its disciplinary procedures.”