A retired sales executive caught with thousands of images of child pornography faces jail.
Alan Parker was a respected figure in Blairgowrie but had been downloading vile material for more than two years.
Among the images found on his two home computers by Tayside Police IT experts were 95 assessed at level 4 and 5, which depict the most horrific abuse against children.
On Thursday, the 65-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court where he was placed on the sex offenders register before being ordered to return on April 18 when he will learn his fate.
Officers obtained a search warrant for Parker’s home in Balmoral Road after receiving information about his activities. They raided his home on April 27 last year, recovering two computer towers which on examination were found to hold child pornography.
The first tower contained 90 level-1 images and one video assessed at level 3 on the new Definitive Scale used by police forces and the Scottish courts. Officers found thousands more images on the second tower, including 4648 live and recorded images assessed as level 1, some 97 at levels 2 and 3 and finally 95 at the highest two levels.
A selection of A4-sized photographs were also found in the house, having apparently been printed from the internet.
Efforts were made to trace the accused without success and the officers eventually had to leave a “calling card” at the address.
In the end, the summons to Tayside Police headquarters in Perth awaited Parker until he returned from a short break away and found that his home had been raided.
Depute fiscal Alan Kempton said the accused eventually contacted the police around a week later, on May 4.
“He was interviewed and admitted possessing the images in question,” Mr Kempton said.
Parker pleaded guilty to a charge that between January 12, 2008 and April 27, 2010, at his home address, he was in possession of indecent or pseudo photographs of children.
Solicitor David Holmes told the court that his client had not previously been in trouble and had co-operated with the police.
Parker was released on bail after the court called on social workers to interview the accused and prepare a report prior to sentencing.