A man caught with dozens of indecent images of children claimed his crime was not sexually motivated.
Ian Hutchison admitted the disturbing offence but put forward the unusual position in regards to the reasons behind it.
The 31-year-old committed the offence as part of an “ill-advised” plan to get out of what was described in court as an “abusive relationship”.
And while the plan worked, it has also seen him become a registered sex offender.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court police received intelligence that an IP address at Hutchison’s then home in Aberdeen had been linked with child sexual abuse and exploitation images.
‘Extremely ill-thought out and ill-advised course of conduct’
Just before 9am on August 3 2021, officers executed a warrant at his address and carried out a systematic search, recovering a number of devices including a mobile phone.
A total of 46 illegal images were found on the device, including 18 deemed category A – the most serious.
A further 15 images were category B and 13 were category C.
The images showed boys and girls aged between 1 and 15 years.
Hutchison, of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to taking, permitting to be taken or making indecent images or pseudo-images of children between October 23 2020 and February 18 2021.
‘Significant mental health challenges’
He also admitted failing to appear at court for a previous hearing.
Defence agent Andrew Ormiston said: “There does not appear to be any sexual motivation.
“This appears to be an extremely ill-thought out and ill-advised course of conduct engaged in through poor decision-making to escape an abusive relationship.”
He explained his client had “significant mental health challenges” that were now being treated.
Mr Ormiston said that when it had been made clear to Hutchison that by having the images he was contributing to the demand for such material he “felt sick”.
The lawyer added: “The abusive relationship that he says caused him to behave in this unusual way is over.
“He now has a new partner.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace ordered Hutchison to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and be supervised for two years.
He also placed him on the register and imposed conduct requirements relating to his internet usage, all as a direct alternative to custody.
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