A pensioner found with thousands of child porn images on his computer has claimed he downloaded the footage as research for a book.
William Docherty appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be sentenced yesterday having previously admitted two charges of possessing and making the indecent images over a four year period.
However sentence was further deferred yesterday after the court head that Docherty, who was handed a life prison sentence 50 years ago, had not intended to view the pictures for sexual gratification.
Instead he claimed that he was writing a book about indecency in the 20th century and as a result wanted the images as research.
The court heard that police found a total of 3,856 images on the 68-year-old’s desktop computer when they raided an address in Earns Heugh Circle, Cove.
The images range from levels one to five – five being the highest end of the scale – and one folder contained written text which stated that the images had been made by a man who had been molesting his family.
It went on to say that he was looking for “like minded paedophiles” to chat and share pictures with.
Representing Docherty, of Basement Flat, 35 Caledonian Place, Aberdeen, solicitor John McLeod said his client has always maintained the images were not intended for his pleasure and said that he had been doing extensive researching for a book.
However, Sheriff William Summers said he was treating that excuse with the upmost scepticism. He said if the grandfather had been writing a book there would be manuscripts and notes available to show the court, however Mr McLeod said these files had been on a hard drive and are now no longer readable.
Sheriff Summers told Mr McLeod that if he wanted him to believe Docherty’s excuses then a proof in mitigation would need to be held to determine the truth.
A proof has now been set for June 10.