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Treatment order for socially isolated Elgin man who downloaded extreme child porn


By Ali Morrison

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A SOCIALLY-ISOLATED man used the internet to meet people but was lured into downloading child porn.

David McAughtry, of Elgin's Calcots Crescent, used a fake Twitter account to get the indecent images and videos, which included 38 in the highest category of obscenity.

The 34-year-old's attempt to evade detection failed as police received intelligence that the web address belonged to him.

Inverness Sheriff Court was previously told that on April 16, 2019, officers raided McAughtry's home and several devices were seized.

After analysis, a total of 61 videos lasting around four hours and 11 still images were recovered, fiscal depute Alex Swain told Sheriff Sara Matheson.

McAughtry admitted possessing the indecent material between April 15-16, 2019, which involved girls in various erotic poses and sexual acts aged between five and 15 years of age.

Over half of the videos were categorised as extreme.

Sentence had been deferred for a background report.

Ordering McAughtry to remain under three years' social work supervision and on the Sex Offender's Register for the same period, Sheriff Matheson instructed him to participate in a rehabilitation programme for sex offenders of this type.

She told him: "The suffering endured by these children forced to take part in these videos is indescribable. Having read the report, I think it would be better for you to be treated rather than send you to jail.

"But if you do not co-operate fully with this order, which is an alternative to custody, these is only one disposal in my mind."

The court was told at an earlier hearing that McAughtry said to police he had done it out of curiosity.

Defence solicitor Matthew O'Neill explained that his client had a "difficult upbringing and was socially isolated. He went online to connect with anyone and didn't realise he was on a slippery slope and then how extreme his tastes were becoming".


View our fact sheet on court reporting here




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