Hundreds of child abuse files featuring girls as young as three were found on laptops following a raid on a family home in Angus.
Police uncovered a stash from two laptops in David Reid’s office when they executed a search warrant in Kirkton of Auchterhouse in August 2023.
Pre-sentencing reports have been ordered after he pled guilty to possessing indecent images of children between September 4 2022 and August 3 2023.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the raid took place after police received intelligence relating to devices being used inside the address.
Prosecutor Gavin Letford said: “At 8.38am on August 8 2023, police attended and the accused was present.
“A systematic search was carried out and a silver HP laptop and a black Dell laptop, along with an external hard drive, were recovered from the accused’s office.
“Child exploitation and abuse material was recovered.
“The devices were sent for forensic analysis. None of the images were accessible.”
Computers packed with filth
In total, 382 images were recovered, with 82 of those being at the highest level of depravity.
Mr Letford said peer-to-peer file sharing software indicative of child abuse material was found on the devices.
The HP laptop contained abuse featuring female children aged between 12 and 15, with youngsters as young as three featured on the Dell laptop.
Some of the vile material contained children engaging in sex acts with animals.
No data was recovered from the hard drive.
‘Particularly serious’ crimes
Reid, 61, now living in a motorhome park in Drymen, near Loch Lomond, pled guilty to the single charge on indictment.
Solicitor John Boyle opted to reserve mitigation until reports are prepared and urged Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith to continue Reid’s bail order.
“These are images of real individuals as young as three years of age often from the poorest parts of the world who are exploited by organised criminals,” the sheriff told Reid.
“You further serious crime against young children, some of whom are as young as three years old. This is particularly serious.”
Reid will return to court in October once reports are prepared.
He was placed on the sex offenders register on an interim basis.
Shortly after the police raid, an urgent appeal was issued when Reid went missing. He was found five days later.
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