An Inverness teenager caught with 500 indecent images of children and 96 illegal videos had “strayed dangerously into a dark world”, a court has heard.
The files were found on devices belonging to 19-year-old Jake Milne after police searched his Inverness home.
They were created between May 19 2019, and May 31 2023, meaning Milne would have been just 14 when the offending began.
Milne, who has spent eight months on remand following his arrest, appeared via videolink from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing, having admitted a single charge relating to the downloading of the pictures and videos.
Fiscal depute Emily Hood told the court that it was 9am on May 31 last year when officers executed a search warrant at Milne’s home in Galloway Drive.
She said: “A number of devices belonging to the accused were seized and cyber crimes officers attended and carried out a preliminary examination of the devices.
Inverness search found indecent images
“Following the discovery of images on the devices, the accused was arrested and taken to Burnett Road police station.
“Further examination of the three devices was carried out and they were found to contain further images.”
Investigations discovered 37 accessible and 66 inaccessible still images that were classified as category A – the most severe, along with 74 accessible category A videos.
The devices contained nine accessible and 57 inaccessible category B still images and 16 accessible category B videos.
There were also 331 category C still images, 230 of which were accessible, and six accessible videos in the same category.
Defence agent Shahid Latif, for Milne, told the court his client had no previous convictions but conceded: “This has been a considerable problem for this young man over a period of time.”
“Over that period he strayed dangerously into a dark world.”
Mr Latif said his client, who had faced “traumatic difficulties” in his life, “always accepted culpability and responsibility” for his actions and indicated there was a “prospect for rehabilitation” for Milne.
‘Not a victimless crime’
Sheriff Harvie told the teen: “This is not a victimless crime and the offences you have committed will have caused considerable harm to victims because it is a supply and demand issue.
“People who seek out these images provide the demand, as a result of which victims continue to be abused. That is a matter which weighs heavily with the court.”
The sheriff recognised that Milne, who had spent eight months on remand following his arrest, had made efforts to begin rehabilitation.
He told him: “I will also take into account, particularly given the period of the libel, your age when you started this offending, which was over a considerable period of five years.”
He placed the teenager on a community payback order with three years of supervision and 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.
In addition to this, Milne will have to complete the Moving Forward 2 Change programme and comply with stringent restrictions on his computer use and internet access – including registering his devices with his supervising officer, providing passwords and not using apps or social networking sites without permission.
He is also barred from using encryption services or deleting any internet history and must comply with inspections as required.
Sheriff Harvie also placed Milne on the sex offenders register for three years.
