A Methil man caught with an indecent image of a child more than three years ago could be placed on the Sex Offenders Register until almost the end of the decade.
Peter Batten had almost completed a supervision period imposed in November 2021 for being found with a category-B image on his laptop.
However, he was found to have breached the order at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Monday.
He was brought to a proof hearing from HMP Perth, where he had been remanded for the equivalent of a 50-day sentence.
Batten told the court supervision had been going well until he lost his trust in his social worker towards the end of the order’s year-long term, which was due to conclude this week.
He had completed ten and a half months when he was remanded.
Social work fall-out
When he was sentenced in November 2021, Batten was made subject to further requirements including the need to disclose to the social worker devices that can access the internet and a ban on unsupervised contact with children.
The court heard the relationship with his social worker had broken down when issues such as his friendship with a woman who had a young child and his use of a mobile phone – understood to not be capable of accessing the internet – were broached.
None of these were deemed to have been breached but Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith found Batten had otherwise breached the order when he stopped engaging with social work.
The sheriff ordered social work and restriction of liberty order reports before sentencing on December 9 and released Batten on bail.
He revoked the previous order and explained he could impose a short term prison sentence but this would carry a mandatory seven years on the Sex Offenders Register.
The sheriff stressed to Batten if he proved to a social worker he could be managed in the community, he would be.
Previous guilty plea
When he was sentenced in November 2021, the 53-year-old’s solicitor told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court his client had not used the laptop on which the image was found since 2018.
However, Batten, of Sea Road in Methil admitted that between May 2 2017 and October 16 2019, at his former home address in Dysart or elsewhere, he had the offensive image.
