A sex plot blackmail accused has been added to the Sex Offenders Register after he admitted having a sickening haul of child abuse material.
A jury cleared Matthew Watt of sexual extortion charges but was then told he had pled guilty to two charges relating to the illegal material.
He admitted downloading indecent images of children between July 2019 and May 2020.
He also admitted having illicit material between April and May 2020.
He has been on trial this week accused of extortion and attempted extortion involving nude images of his alleged victims.
Jury told of child abuse admission
After the trial ended in his acquittal, fiscal depute Stewart Duncan told Dundee Sheriff Court he had already admitted other charges.
“At the time he was a student at Dundee and Angus College.
“During a search of his house a phone and computer tower were recovered.”
Both devices were found to contain explicit images of child abuse, including a three-minute video of a girl aged between 12 and 14 being raped.
The court was told Watt – an art and design student – believed his offences were “fuelled by alcohol.”
Sentence was deferred for reports and Sheriff Alistair Carmichael warned Watt he could be sent to prison.
Several of the jurors who had found six charges of sexual extortion levelled at Watt not proven looked shocked when they were informed about his child abuse haul.
Blackmail plots denied
He was cleared of trying to blackmail an American housewife and two transgender students – who were female at the time – into sending him explicit selfies online.
He had denied plotting to extort sexual material from the trio and claimed he was carrying out a photography project.
He admitted to a jury at Dundee Sheriff Court that he had asked one complainer for “thigh” shots but claimed the person had been willing to take part in his college project.
The trial earlier heard a married woman giving evidence via a transatlantic video link from the District Attorney’s office in Virginia, USA.
She said she had been quizzed by the FBI after being targeted by a Scottish sex plot blackmailer.
She said he made vile threats and said he would tell her family she had sent images, which she had not.
Another witness, who has transitioned from female to male, told the court Watt threatened “blackmail” for refusal to send him graphic selfies.
Watt, 23 of Rowanbank Gardens, Broughty Ferry, will be sentenced on March 27.
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