A businessman who threw away three memory sticks into a guest house waste bin has admitted possessing indecent images of children on one of them.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday that Joseph Richardson, 49, was staying at the An Sealgair Bed and Breakfast in Station Road, Carrbridge, in February last year when the discovery was made.
Fiscal depute Fraser Matheson told Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood that when Richardson booked out, the guest house owner went to clear his room for the next guest and found the memory sticks in a plastic bag.
He went on: “The owner thought that if the pen drives were undamaged he could reformat them for his own use.
“He put them into his lap top and one of the pen drives contained some business spread sheets, and another some family pictures.”
But Mr Matheson said the third pen drive contained 140 indecent images of children.
Richardson, of Elson, Ellsemere, Shropshire admitted making or permitting to be taking indecent pseudo images of children at the guest house between December 30, 2014 and February 23, 2015 at the B&B.
Mr Matheson said Richardson, who is a director of a seed processing company, has stayed there before and after settling his bill on Tuesday, February 24 he vacated his room and left.
The court heard that he returned that evening and asked if the owner had found the memory sticks.
“He (the owner) said he had not and offered him to look in his room. He went straight to the bin and said there were business matters on the memory stick.
“It seems he was in an agitated state.” Mr Matheson went on.
The matter was reported to the police when he left and Richardson was traced and arrested.
Defence solicitor Aileen Macinnes said reports would be required before sentencing and Richardson was placed on the Sex Offenders Register meantime.
He will be sentenced on November 15.
