A sex offender is facing jail after a court heard he concealed his identity while using Google and YouTube to find indecent images of children as young as two.
Vincent Shannon, 48, admitted accessing paedophile websites, including some from Russia, more than 8,000 times, at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Shannon, of Lawrence Street, Broughty Ferry, made 29 indecent videos — two of which were at the highest category — lasting for a total of more than three hours.
He also made 1,050 still images, 110 of them category A.
Fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin told the court police acting on intelligence went to Shannon’s then address in St Dennis Terrace in the St Mary’s area on August 1.
Mrs Gilmartin said his laptop computer contained file-sharing software called Shareaza which had been downloaded and installed, and contained search terms such as “underage” and “pedo”.
A Tor Browser had been installed on the laptop to provide online anonymity.
She said: “Analysis of the internet history showed the user accessing a Russian website which can be used to host and share indecent images of children. It had been accessed more than 8,000 times between February 6 2016 and July 31 2017.
“Two hundred indecent images of children have been recovered on the device, all containing the website name, having been created between April 15 2017 and May 18 2017.
“The user has utilised Google to search for images of abuse since January 29 2016 and YouTube since February 7 2016.”
The fiscal depute added: “He has actively searched for and downloaded indecent images and videos of children aged approximately between 2-14.”
Shannon admitted taking or permitting to be taken or making indecent photographs of children at St Dennis Terrace between January 12 2016 and August 1 2017.
Sentence was deferred until April 5 for reports and he was placed on the sex offenders register in the interim by Sheriff Alastair Carmichael.
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