A 47-year-old Dundee man who had child porn images and videos said his interest began when his son was charged with the same offence.
Cameron Fenwick, of North Street, admitted at the city’s Sheriff Court that he had indecent images of children at his former home address over a four year period.
The court heard he had 25 images and 72 videos of child porn — adding up to a total of 10 hours and 23 minutes of video footage.
Male and female children ranging in ages from pre-school to mid-teens were depicted in the footage.
Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told the court the images were found after police received intelligence Fenwick was downloading indecent images of children and raided his home.
The fiscal said: “Police officers found the accused and his mother within the locus.
“Whilst the accused was out of his mother’s earshot, he stated, ‘It was me, I looked at the indecent images. It’s a disease and I’m fighting it.’
“Whilst the officers were searching his bedroom, the accused further stated, ‘The laptop you’re after is under the bed. Everything you want is on there.’
“A number of items were seized from that address, including a laptop found in the accused’s bedroom.”
Fenwick was taken to police headquarters for questioning.
During the journey he further stated, “It’s a disease, where do you go for help? I started looking at the images after the case involving my son. I don’t know if it was curiosity or what, I don’t get any sexual gratification from it’.”
The accused added: “It’s not like I’m hurting anyone.”
The fiscal depute said it’s thought the comments about the previous case referred to his son, also called Cameron Fenwick, having been convicted for the same offence in 2013.
The court heard to day that five of the images and 32 of the videos found on Fenwick Snr’s laptop were classed as the most serious category A.
A further nine images and 15 videos were classed as category B, while 11 images and 25 videos were classed as category C.
Fenwick admitted having indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children.
The offence took place between December 8, 2010 and December 3, 2014, at a property on St Columba Gardens.
He further admitted taking or permitting to be taken or making indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children, between the same dates and at the same location.
Sentence was deferred until October 13 for reports and Fenwick was placed on the sex offenders register meantime.
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