A former Moray street pastor has admitted having more than 100 indecent images of children.
Barry Paterson, who now lives in Aberdeen, kept pictures and videos of girls as young as six on computers across a period spanning more than a decade.
Yesterday the 51-year-old father admitted a charge of “taking, permitting to be taking, or making” the indecent images when he appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court.
Whisky industry worker Paterson previously volunteered with Elgin Street Pastors, which provides a town centre team on Saturday nights to listen to and care for those separated from friends on night outs and help them get home safely. The group is made up of volunteers from local churches.
Fiscal Rowena Carlton explained police discovered the images after searching Paterson’s former home on Beils Brae in Urquhart, near Elgin, last year.
Cyber tests done on two laptops and a hard drive established that 130 images and three videos had been “made” on the devices between August 2001 and December 2012.
Yesterday Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov ordered the laptop computers and hard drive to be forfeited by Paterson.
Miss Carlton said: “Examinations of the hard drive revealed that between August 23, 2001 and February 13, 2005, the accused made 73 indecent images of children, mostly girls aged between six and 15 years old.
“Tests on one of the laptops revealed Mr Paterson had made 54 indecent images of children, mostly girls aged between seven and 15 years old, and additionally three videos.
“Examinations of the second laptop found three images of children, mostly girls between eight and 14 years old.
“All of the files were accessible.”
Miss Carlton added that 23 of the images discovered by police were considered to be “category A”, which depict the most serious forms of abuse, by experts. The combined runtime of the videos was three minutes 20 seconds.
Defence solicitor Ben Thom said: “I anticipate that reports will need to be called for. Mr Paterson is aware of the notification requirements.”
Paterson, of Carlton Court on Huntly Street in Aberdeen, had his sentence deferred until September 29 for reports to be prepared. He has been placed on the sex offender’s register until that date.