A couple who were caught with vile videos of children on their mobile phones have been spared jail after a sheriff accepted their explanation.
Ahmad Al Mahamid and Saosan Ghozlan’s mobile phones were seized during a raid on their Alness home following intelligence that suggested someone at the address may have been sharing indecent images online.
A cybercrime examination of the devices uncovered a number of indecent images of children on each, with both having category A videos – depicting the most severe forms of abuse.
Further investigations confirmed there were no searches for indecent material on their phones or any distribution. Sheriff Gary Aitken told them: “I accept the explanation you gave to social workers.”
Al Mahamid, 50, and Ghozlan, 43, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing, each having previously admitted a single charge of possessing indecent images of children on December 16, 2021.
Sex offenders ‘forced to move’
The court was told they were refugees who came to this country in 2016 and had been forced to move from their Highland home as a result of their conviction.
They will soon be making a permanent move to Glasgow.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir told Sheriff Aitken that police received intelligence about indecent images of children being shared at the address and a raid on their Milnafua home was carried out.
Their mobile phones were seized, each of which had a video of child abuse.
Mr Weir said Ghozlan told police: “Anything like that we delete. My husband sent me it and said: ‘Look what they sent me’.
A full examination of both phones was carried out.
Mr Weir added: “On his phone there were five videos, two category A (the most extreme) two B and one C.
“There were two inaccessible videos – one category A and one B. They had a runtime of one minute 17 seconds.
“On her phone were two images each in category A and B, and two inaccessible category C images. There were three category A videos, with a runtime of four minutes and nine seconds.”
Unimaginable suffering
Sheriff Aitken, who read a social work background report, told the couple: “The level of suffering that these children must have endured in these images cannot be imagined.
“Such images are usually accessed by people who seek sexual gratification.
“The circumstances that you found yourself in the possession of this material is rather different and I accept the explanation you gave to social workers.”
It was not disclosed what the exact circumstances were, but the pair’s statements to police indicated that the material was sent to them.
Sheriff Aitken placed the pair on community payback orders with nine months’ supervision, during which time restrictions will be placed on their internet use.
The couple will also remain on the sex offenders register for the same period of time.
