Ross-shire couple spared prison sentence after admitting having indecent images of children on their phones

A couple who fled Syria seven years ago with their four children and settled in the Highlands have had restrictions placed on their internet use for the next nine months in a community payback order as an alternative to prison.

Ahma Al Mahamid, aged 50 and his 43-year-old wife Saosan Ghozlan appeared for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court after previously pleading guilty to one charge each of having indecent images and videos of children on their mobile phones in Milnafua, Alness on December 16, 2021.

The court was told they were refugees who came to this country in 2016 and had been forced to move to new temporary accommodation in Wick before a permanent move to Glasgow soon as a result of the offences.

Fiscal depute Robert Weir told Sheriff Gary Aitken that police received intelligence that they may have committed the offence and sharing the material online.

"The level of suffering that these children must have endured in these images cannot be imagined. Such images are usually accessed by people who seek sexual gratification."

- Sheriff Gary Aitken

Officers raided their home and seized their mobile phones, each of which had a video of child abuse.

Mr Weir said Ghozlan told police: "Anything like that we delete. My husband sent me it and said 'look what they sent me."

A full examination of both phones was carried out.

Mr Weir added: "On his phone there were five videos, two category A - (the most extreme) - two 'B' and 1 'C'. There were two inaccessible videos - one Category A and one B. They had a runtime of 1 minute 17 seconds.

"On her phone were two images each in category A and B, and two inaccessible Category C images. There were three category A videos, with a runtime of four minutes and 9 seconds."

Sheriff Aitken, who read a social work background report, told the couple: "The level of suffering that these children must have endured in these images cannot be imagined. Such images are usually accessed by people who seek sexual gratification.

"The circumstances that you found yourself in the possession of this material is rather different and I accept the explanation you gave to social workers."

It was not disclosed what the exact circumstances were but the pair's statements to police indicated that the material was sent to them. The court was told that there were no searches for indecent material on their phones, transmission or distribution.