An Aberdeen man has been ordered to stay away from kids after being caught with vile sexual images of children as young as four.
Kyle Mellis was caught when police received intelligence that an indecent video of a child had been uploaded from his Instagram account.
Officers swooped on his home where the 28-year-old immediately confessed to having “a couple of images on his phone”.
But the police seized three mobile phones from Mellis and found disturbing pictures and videos of girls between the ages of four and 13.
Fiscal depute Jane Spark told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “In December 2022, Police Scotland received information that a video containing child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to the internet via an Instagram account associated to accused.
“An evidential search warrant was craved and granted for the accused’s home address.”
Officers attended at Mellis’ home, which at that time was on Wingate Place, Aberdeen, and read him the terms of the warrant.
He then admitted having “a couple of images on his phone”.
Three devices were seized and forensically examined and the following discoveries made:
- Two category A videos of children (the most serious kind)
- One category B still image of children
- Eight category C still images of children
The following “inaccessible” files were also found:
- Six category A videos of children
- Two category B still images of children
- One category B video of children
- Five category C still images of children
- One category C video of children
Ms Spark said: “The children featured were girls estimated to be between four and 13 years of age.”
They showed the children involved in sexual activity with adults and other children, as well as sexualised posing.
The total play-length of the videos was just over nine minutes.
Mellis, now of Hoy Place, Aberdeen, pled guilty to taking or permitting to be taken or making indecent images or pseudo-images of children, as well as possession of those images.
Defence agent Neil McRobert said his client appeared with no previous convictions.
He added Mellis had issues with his mental health and that he’d been “open and honest” with the police and the author of a background report.
Sheriff Ian Wallace imposed three years of supervision, 180 hours of unpaid work, and a requirement to complete the Moving Forward, Making Changes programme.
He also made a conduct requirement for Mellis not to have any unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18, and to make his electric devices available for inspection.
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