An Iraqi war veteran who survived a bomb attack which killed some of his colleagues downloaded indecent images of children as he coped with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Edward Nichol’s home was searched after police received intelligence about his activities.
Examination of various devices seized at the property uncovered the stash of indecent images and videos.
The 50-year-old married man downloaded them over a 10-year period, with his lawyer telling Inverness Sheriff Court: “He suffers from survivor guilt.”
Nichol, of Duntulum Road, Inverness, appeared for sentence before Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald after admitting downloading and possessing the offensive material at properties in Ardersier, Leuchars and Inverness between August 2012 and January 7 2022.
He also admitted a third charge of possessing an extreme pornographic image of a woman having sexual activity with a dog.
‘Possession of these images is foul’
Placing him on a sex offenders programme and two years of social work supervision, the sheriff told him: “Possession of these images is foul. How you can get pleasure out of these images, I have no idea.”
Another eight videos and indecent images of children were also found, one of which was accessible.
Ms Eastwood added: “Two phones and two laptops were seized by police who also found searches for indecent images of children.”
Defence solicitor advocate Clare Russell said: “There is a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder here and there was childhood trauma.
“He spent 24 years in the military and suffered a significant injury in Iraq as a result of a bomb. A number of his colleagues were killed and it left him with shrapnel in his head. He suffers from survivor guilt.”
Nichol was also placed on the sex offenders register for two years.
