A paedophile student who shared hours of sickening child abuse material to other creeps on social media has been locked up.
Colin Hitchcock appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court and admitted distributing depraved footage and images using Snapchat and Instagram.
The 42-year-old asked to be released on bail so he complete his social sciences course at Fife College.
But Sheriff Paul Brown rejected the motion and remanded Hitchcock in custody ahead of sentencing next month.
Shared on social media
Hitchcock admitted having and distributing illicit files from his home in Main Street, Collinsburgh, between March 14 and May 25, last year.
Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan told the court: “Police Scotland received intelligence that a Snapchat account associated with the accused’s home had uploaded child sexual abuse images and sent it to another account.”
He said investigators were also told there were similar concerns about Hitchcock’s Instagram account.
Mr Duncan said officers went to the accused’s home, armed with a search warrant.
“Police examined a number of electronic items, including a laptop and a mobile phone,” the prosecutor said.
A cache of extreme child sexual exploitation images and film were recovered from the devices.
Investigators discovered that over a two-day period in April, Hitchcock shared 14 videos, including 12 that were of the most serious category.
Over a two-day period in April that year, Hitchcock sent 14 videos to fellow paedophiles – including 12 that were of the most serious category.
The images and videos were of young girls, aged between four and 13, the court heard.
As many as 30 videos of varying degrees of depravity were uncovered from a laptop, said Mr Duncan.
Deserves everything coming his way
Defence solicitor Lee Qumseih, defending, said: “Mr Hitchcock understands clearly these are very serious offences.
“I have explained to him the court takes very seriously these charges – especially the charge of distribution.”
Mr Qumseih said: “As he puts it, he deserves everything coming his way for these offences.
“I have explained to him the court could remand him in custody ahead of reports being made and he understands that.”
The solicitor said that Hitchcock’s college course was due to end next month.
“If he is released on bail he will agree fully with the preparation of reports, ahead of any possible outcome,” he said.
Sheriff Brown refused bail and deferred sentence for reports.
Hitchcock was placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
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