Shocked co-worker helped uncover Highland man's indecent images of children

A 61-year-old Nairn man avoided a jail sentence after admitting downloading 92 indecent images of children.

Instead, David Adam of Ashfield Court, was ordered to participate in a sex offender's rehabilitation programme.

Sheriff Sara Matheson also placed him under three years of social work supervision and on the Sex Offenders' Register for the same period.

But the sheriff warned him if he did not complete the programme satisfactorily, he would go to jail.

"People like you perpetuate the abuse of children which is an anathema to society," she said. "I will take into account that you are a first offender, there were a low number of images, and there were no moving images.

"Prison would not address your offending."

Defence solicitor Natalie Paterson said: "He is ashamed and this has scared him rigid."

Sentence had been deferred for a background report in December when the court was told Adam was caught when he asked a work colleague to assist him in using a piece of software.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told that the colleague saw an image which showed five or six naked boys playing together.

It concerned and shocked him sufficiently that he contacted police.

Fiscal depute Karen Aitken said that a search warrant was obtained and a number of electronic devices were seized.

Analysis revealed more images of naked boys mostly aged between eight and 12, some created as early as February 2013. The last was made on June 23, 2019. A total of 92 were recovered although they had been deleted.

When interviewed, Adam admitted that he had obtained the images from gay porn sites by using his phone to photograph his computer screen.

He said he had deleted them when his colleague had seen the photographs.