A senior project manager at power firm SSE has been caught with a cache of obscene child abuse images.
Police raided David Dickie’s Perth city centre home after learning illicit files were being downloaded to devices connected to the property.
They seized the 35-year-old’s mobile phone and discovered dozens of photos featuring children as young as one.
Perth Sheriff Court heard some of the material included “sadistic sexual activity.”
Dickie admitted possession of the files over an eight month period from November 2021.
He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and will be sentenced next month.
Home raid
Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan told the court: “At the time of these offence, the accused was 34 years old and was employed as an engineer manager by SSE.
“Confidential and reliable information was received by Police Scotland that indecent images of children were being held at the accused’s address in Princes Street.
“As a result, police craved and were granted a search warrant.
“This was executed at about 8.20am on Wednesday, October 12 2022, when the accused was at home.”
Mr Duncan said: “A systematic search of the property was commenced and a number of electronic devices were recovered.
“A forensic preview was carried out on all devices and a Samsung mobile phone was found to contain approximately 90 child sexual abuse material at Category A.
“The picture files featured boys and girls approximately one to 10 years.”
Further examination
The court heard that a further, more in-depth analysis was carried out.
“The device was attributed to the accused by various social media and email accounts in his name,” said the fiscal depute.
“The accused also provided PIN numbers for the phone.”
Cybercrime experts found 166 images on the phone, with 59 at the most obscene level.
“The images contained sexual activity, sexualised posing and sadistic sexual activity,” said Mr Duncan.
Sheriff William Wood told Dickie: “Because of the nature of this charge I can’t deal with you today. I need to obtain background reports.
“In the meantime, you have been convicted of a sexual offence and you will require to be subject to the Sex Offenders Register.”
The sheriff said the length of time he will remain subject to the requirements will be determined when he returns to court on October 26.
According to his now deleted LinkedIn account, Dickie was a “senior authorised person” and lead project manager in network construction at SSE.
The company has declined to comment.
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