An Aberdeen roofer who watched pornography “like others watch soap operas” downloaded hundreds of indecent images and videos of children.
David Mann appeared at the city’s sheriff court yesterday after previously pleading guilty to downloading more than 800 videos and 65 videos, featuring young girls aged between 13 and 17.
The 32-year-old committed the offences at addresses on Great Western Road, Cummings Park Crescent, and Thompson Street Lane between October 2012 and June 2014.
Mann, whose address was given in court as Flat C, 553 Great Western Road, Aberdeen, also admitted downloading another video of an adult involved in a sex act with a pig.
The court heard Mann had been arrested after police linked his e-mail address to a child pornography website.
Police were granted a search warrant for Mann’s address and seized his mobile phone, Toshiba Laptop, a pen drive, and an external hard drive.
Upon examining the devices, officers uncovered 828 images and 65 videos, which totalled five hours and 23 minutes in length.
Defence agent Graeme Morrison told the court Mann had a “lifelong interest” in pornography, which was like “an addiction”.
Mr Morrison added: “He watched it like other people watch soap operas.”
He told the court that child pornography had been just a small percentage of what Mann watched.
Mann, the court heard, had even downloaded indecent images and videos while on his lunch break from work.
“He was in the company of his workmates, they all thought he was a bit strange and he was aware of that.”
But, Mr Morrison said, Mann had overcome his addiction after the birth of his 18-month-old daughter.
Mann wept in the dock as Sheriff William Summers placed him under supervision for three years.
Sheriff Summers also ordered him to complete 120 hours of unpaid work in 12 months and placed him on the sex offenders register for three years.
