A Dundee paedophile with a side-line in drug-dealing has narrowly avoided a prison sentence.
Police raided Reece Boyle’s home following a tip-off he had been accessing obscene child abuse material.
Telltale text messages from a mobile phone exposed the 26-year-old’s cocaine peddling operation.
Boyle, who was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for three years, left the city’s sheriff court with his hood over his face after he was sentenced to a community payback order.
House visit
Detectives recovered three mobile phones when they searched Boyle’s Findhorn Street home.
The devices were analysed and showed he had downloaded horrific images and videos of toddlers being sexually abused.
One phone also contained of messages from drug users ordering cocaine.
Boyle admitted between September 6 2018 and November 30 2021 downloading indecent images of children.
He also pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine between May 26 2020 and December 1 2021.
Fiscal depute Lee Corr previously told how some of the child sex abuse files were in the most serious category.
Just over 1,040 images and ten videos – with a running time of nearly seven minutes – were found on the cracked iPhone.
“Whilst carrying out the search, several drug items were seen,” Mr Corr said.
Drugs recovered
A bag of white powder, which later tested positive as cocaine worth £5,213, was found stashed in his room.
Around £2,000 in cash was also recovered. The phone had a number of messages which suggested Boyle was dealing cocaine.
Defence solicitor Anika Jethwa, in mitigation for Boyle, said: “A plea was tendered at first diet in April.
“He is 26, with no previous convictions other than a road traffic matter at JP level.
“He has given an honest account of his involvement in the supply of drugs.”
She said: “It is when he started drinking and taking cocaine, he started viewing these images.
“He is unable to say why he did.”
Ms Jethwa added: “He accepts these are extremely serious offences and he might face custody.
“He is a young man who has the support of his family.
“They are devastated about what he has been charged with.
“They had no idea what was going on.
“He has issues which the social work report op believes can be addressed with a non-custodial disposal. I hope he can be given a chance.”
Sheriff Martin-Brown sentenced Boyle to 225 hours community service and placed him on a supervision order for three years.
He will also be on the sex offender register for that amount of time.
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