A former north-east ambulance technician has been caught with hundreds of child porn images after police carried out an early morning raid of his home.
Fraser Wade was found to have almost 300 indecent images and one video split between two laptops and a USB stick when officers executed a search warrant at 4.45am on November 4, 2015.
The majority of the pictures found in the 32-year-old’s possession were Category C, while the rest were Category B – depicting the second most serious level of sexual abuse towards children.
Prosecutor John Richardson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that police received information that Wade, of Annamuick Cottages, Stonehaven, had been accessing a particular website that was of interest to them, and that images had been uploaded on October 27, 2015.
He said: “An inquiry was made into e-mail and IP addresses that were accessing the site, and this led back to the accused.
“As a result, on November 3, police were granted a search warrant, which was executed by two officers at 4.45am the following day.
“The accused was the only person in the property. A systematic search was carried out and a number of items were recovered.
“A laptop was found on a coffee table in the living room. In the bedroom they found they found a laptop and two USB sticks.
“These were subject to further examination.”
On the first laptop, 230 indecent images were found, 222 of Category C and the rest Category B.
The search history was examined and it was found attempts to access prohibited material had been made.
The second laptop had 54 indecent images, with what the prosecutor described as a “similar ratio” of Category B and C images.
The USB stick contained 11 indecent images and a video.
Wade pleaded guilty to taking or permitting to take or making indecent photographs of pseudo photographs of children.
Sheriff Graeme Napier said: “I will continue this matter for the preparation of a social work report, your bail is continued.”
He also ordered him to sign onto the Sex Offenders’ Register in the interim, with the length of time he stays on it to be determined at his sentencing hearing.
