An intelligence-led police raid on an Aberdeen man’s home resulted in the discovery of more than 600 indecent images of children and more than nine hours of horrific video.
Daniel McGladrigan was found to have around 643 indecent pictures and hours of video footage of children on “encrypted cloud storage” when police officers attended his property in October 2020.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how the 20-year-old “spontaneously” volunteered to cops that a mobile phone on his dining room table contained the sick images – adding that they were contained in a “lockbox application” on the phone.
Police were acting on intelligence that between September 2017 and July 2019 hundreds of images been transferred using email addresses and a mobile number linked to McGladrigan.
Officers then searched his property and seized a number of mobile phones and computer hardware.
Accused spontaneously told cops where images were
Indecent images and video footage of children were found on all three mobile phone devices.
He admitted to two charges related to making and storing the content.
Fiscal Depute Helen Treharne told the court: “On October 19 2020, a warrant was executed by police officers at an address in Woodside, Aberdeen, and the accused was found inside where the warrant was read to him.
“The accused spontaneously said that his mobile phone on the living room dining room contained indecent images of children.
“He further stated that the images were contained in a ‘lockbox’ application on the phone.”
A lockbox app allows users to hide, lock and password protect digital files on their computer or devices.
During a search of McGladrigan’s property seized a further two phones, two PlayStation games consoles and a computer tower belonging to the 20-year-old.
Hundreds of images and hours of video footage discovered
He was arrested and charged with two counts of taking or making indecent photographs of children and of being in possession of hundreds of images.
More than nine hours of indecent video footage was also found on three mobile devices belonging to McGladrigan.
Ms Treharne added that following his arrest, McGladrigan gave no comment interview and made no reply to caution after the charges had been read out.
Defence solicitor Stuart Beveridge made no plea on behalf of his client.
Sheriff William Summers deferred sentencing on McGladrigan, of Mill Court, Aberdeen, in order for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be carried out.
He also made him subject to the sex offenders register.