A 45-year-old Inverness man who downloaded indecent images of children was ordered to carry out the maximum 300 hours of unpaid community work instead of a jail sentence.
A background report had been called for by Sheriff Margaret Neilson on Neil Hills, of Huntly Street, after he admitted three charges involving possessing and downloading still images and videos between November 2011 and July 2014.
At an earlier hearing this month, fiscal Depute Michelle Molley told the court that police received intelligence that the first offender had used a device to obtain the pornography and searched his flat on November 26 last year.
He was arrested and when interviewed by officers, denied viewing or downloading indecent images of children.
He told officers he had received some images by email during June and July that he had deleted.
Examination of a hard drive revealed 288 images and ten indecent videos of children, the youngest thought to be approximately three.
A White Acer Tablet was also analysed and 11 indecent images were found.
Defending, Patrick O’Dea said: “He bitterly regrets his actions. He has greatly damaged relations with his family.
“He was suffering from anxiety and depression at the time and was abusing alcohol. The report assess him as a low to medium risk of re-offending.”
Hills was also ordered to remain under social work supervision for three years, placed on the sex offender’s register for the same period and to take part in a sex offender’s programme.
