A sex offender who had videos of child rape has been told to seek help by a sheriff, who said he did not want him labelled a “beast”.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard David Young, 49, of Baffin Street, downloaded child sexual abuse videos of between 15 to 20 minutes duration.
Sheriff Alistair Brown said although the content of the videos was serious child rape, Young had fewer than 10 of them.
He said: “This is a serious offence. It is a serious offence made just less serious than others because of the low number of images. This kind of material always involves a victim.
“Where the parties are children it involves a victim and where there are penetrative activities with children what you are watching is rape.”
Young had previously pleaded guilty to two charges relating to possessing as well as taking or permitting to be taken indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children, at his home address between December 15 2012 and August 6 2013.
He also pleaded guilty to distributing such images on December 19 2012.
The court heard Young was using file sharing software which made the material he downloaded available to others, although he did not directly distribute them.
Sheriff Brown said: “Downloading and sharing this sort of material is very serious but you have a limited amount of material.
“You appear to have had it for your own purposes and you appear to be at low risk of reoffending.
“The real risk for you is being demonised. Some people would call you a beast.”
Young was due to be sentenced on Thursday, but Sheriff Brown deferred sentence for a further four weeks.
Defence solicitor John Boyle said Young knew he needed help and would see his GP in a bid to be referred to psychiatric services.
Sheriff Brown said: “It is very difficult for me to do something that does not demonise you completely.
“This will allow me to punish what you have done and deter future content in a practical way.”
Young will appear again on September 11 and a supplementary report was also called for.