A charity worker has hit out at the “outrageous” decision not to jail a Dundee man caught with videos showing children as young as three being raped.
Laurie Matthew, of 18 and Under, said it was “disgusting” that Paul Simms was given a “slap on the wrist” and a community payback order after pleading guilty.
Simms – who formerly worked for a computer games firm in Dundee – had his house in the city raided by cops on September 28 last year.
Officers discovered Simms had wiped his laptop the day before they arrived – but specialists were able to recover 149 indecent images and 10 videos with a total run time of almost four hours.
Ms Matthew said: “He should have gone to prison. That’s absolutely outrageous.
“These children are all victims – this is not a faceless crime.
“It’s staggering that he hasn’t been sent to prison.
“He knew he’d done wrong and tried to cover it up.
“How can sentences like this possibly deter others – and what does it say to the victims?”
Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court that the images depicted children as young as three.
Simms, 35, of Scott Street, pleaded guilty on indictment to taking or making indecent images of children between May 12 and July 12 last year at his home address.
Solicitor George Donnelly said: “The items involved were viewed, moved then deleted. He has lost everything as a result of this – his house, his job, his partner and the respect of those who know him.”
Sheriff Simon Collins imposed a community payback order with two years’ supervision and 300 hours of unpaid work.
He also imposed conduct requirements on Simms’ internet use and placed him on the sex offenders register for two years.
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