Man caught with obscene child and animal images avoids jail sentence

A Perth man who was caught with obscene images of child abuse and extreme pornography has avoided being sent to prison.

Police swooped on Andrew O’Neill’s home and seized computer equipment featuring pictures of children as young as two years old.

Investigators also found pictures of people having sex with horses and dogs.

The 36-year-old returned to Perth Sheriff Court for sentencing, having already pleaded guilty to taking or permitting to be taken indecent photographs of children between October 2012 and March the following year.

He also admitted possession of “extreme pornographic images” depicting bestiality.

His solicitor Steven Lafferty said that his client was mainly interested in “older women” but had looked up the images out of curiosity.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis was persuaded not to send O’Neill to jail after hearing about the low number of images found.

O’Neill, of Crieff Road, was placed on a three-year supervision order and told to take part in programmes aimed at reducing his offending.