A man convicted of indecent exposure who went on to be caught with a child abuse video has been spared jail because a sheriff said: “There’s no indication he’s actually a threat to anybody.”
Allen Smith was convicted of indecently exposing himself to a 12-year-old in 1998.
Last year he was caught with a child abuse video involving a 10-year-old girl and ranked at the highest level of severity.
He also admitted trying searches for other child abuse images.
However, a sheriff told him it appeared his offending was “de-escalating” rather than him posing a greater threat.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard police were alerted to Smith having accessed an explicit video involving children after receiving an anonymous tip-off.
Smith, 35, of Buttar’s Place, Dundee, pleaded guilty on indictment to possessing indecent images of children on May 18 last year.
Sheriff Alastair Brown imposed a community payback order with 120 hours’ unpaid work, three years’ supervision and a requirement to undertake a sex offenders groupwork programme.
Smith was also placed on the sex offenders register for three years.
