A man who was released early from a 20-month prison sentence for possessing thousands of indecent images of children gave in to his “desires and urges” to download more after he was liberated.
Charles Stevenson, who was being monitored by police after his release on licence, confessed to police he had more indecent images on a mobile phone when officers went to check on him at his home in Monetary Place, Nairn, this year.
The 39-year-old, who is registered blind, had only gained his freedom on June 28 and his lawyer, Neil Wilson told Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday: “He resisted those desires and urges for as long as possible.
“But he gave in to his internal struggle, as he puts it. He is a socially isolated individual but that could have changed if he had not been refused a guide dog.” Mr Wilson added.
Stevenson didn’t apply for bail when he appeared in private at the start of the year before being recalled to prison to finish his original sentence, imposed in September, 2017.
A background report had been called for by Sheriff Margaret Neilson who decided against jailing Stevenson for his new offence.
Placing him under three years of social work supervision and ordering him to participate in a sex offender’s programme, she said: “Given the time you have spent in custody, the relatively small number of images involved and your early plea, I am prepared to make a community payback order.”
Stevenson was again placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.
At the earlier hearing last month, the court heard that on January 7 this year, officers from the Police Scotland Offender Management Unit visited Stevenson at his home address to conduct an assessment in accordance with his previous conviction.
Depute fiscal Michelle Molley told Sheriff Neilson: “Constables observed indecent images of children on a mobile phone willingly provided to them.”
Stevenson admitted that between December 9 last year and January 5 this year at his address in Monetary Place, Nairn possession of indecent photographs of children.
“He stated to police he viewed the images around once per week and found it difficult to control the urge to do so. He further stated he knew what he was doing was wrong.” Ms Molley said.
Two of the images were in the most extreme category A, 17 category B and 341 category C, together with 45 pseudo images of naked children.
