A pensioner caught with an indecent image of a young girl on his laptop has claimed he was downloading old war films when the image appeared on his device.
Ronald Singer didn’t delete the category C image, though, and when police searched his device he was arrested, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
The 67-year-old said the image, of a young girl aged between eight and 10, had appeared on his device after he used a torrent site to download war films.
Fiscal depute Eabha Sweeney said the one image was created on March 18 last year and was found on April 28 last year after a search warrant was executed on his Cove home.
Indecent image was of young girl
“A systematic search of the locus was conducted,” she said. “Two detective sergeants from the forensic computing department attended and carried out preliminary examinations of the devices found.
“A HP computer was found to contain one Category-C associated CSM format image which featured a girl approximately eight to 10 years old.”
The image was found in Singer’s downloads folder named “LS Magazine”.
Singer was taken to a cell at Kittybrewster police station where he gave a no comment interview.
In court, after his charge was reduced to summary level and amended to include fewer charges, he admitted taking, permitting to take or making an indecent or pseudo-photograph of a child.
Said he was downloading war films
Defence agent Gregor Kelly said the retired quality assurance engineer had not been before the courts for 35 years and had no analogous previous convictions.
“Since he was a young male he used to watch World War Two films with his father,” Mr Kelly said.
“He has accessed such films in the past through a torrent website which is a download website for copyright material.
“While downloading, he found that other material or another nature found its way on to this machine.
“He didn’t delete it.”
‘He is mortified’
The solicitor also said the offence was at the “lowest end” of the indecent image scale.
“He is mortified at finding himself in the dock,” he added. “He accepts this is not a victimless crime to provide an audience for such material he feels extremely ashamed.”
Sheriff Margaret Hodge called for background reports to be prepared on Singer, of Earns Heugh Walk, Cove.
She deferred sentencing until next month and made him subject to the notification requirements of the sex offender’s register meantime.
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