A sex offender had a graphic image of a child aged under two being abused, Inverness Sheriff Court has heard.
Roy Howe, 36, also had photos of young girls dressed in adult lingerie on his devices.
The images were found after police officers carried out a device inspection at Howe’s home – a condition he was made subject to following previous sexual offending.
Howe appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of taking, permitting to be taken, or making indecent images of children between January 16 2019 and September 28 2023.
Device inspection found indecent images of children
Fiscal depute Susan Love told the court that Howe was “subject to device inspections due to his previous offending”.
She explained that on September 28 last year officers went to Howe’s home to carry out an inspection.
He gave them his mobile phone and on it they found images of children in a “bin” folder.
The pictures showed girls aged five to seven “dressed in adult lingerie”.
As the officers were leaving Howe’s address they noticed other devices and a warrant was subsequently granted and the property searched.
Ms Love said: “Two mobile phones and the USB were found to contain indecent images of children.”
10 ‘category A’ images
In total 239 indecent images of children were recovered from the devices – of these 10 were Category A – the most serious.
There were 14 Category B images and the rest were category C.
All of the images were classed as inaccessible – meaning they were not readily available to the user of the devices.
One of the images featured the abuse of a child believed to be aged under two.
Solicitor Natalie Paterson told the court that her client – who is in full-time employment in the forestry industry – was undergoing psychiatric evaluation.
She asked that he was allowed to remain on bail until the sentencing hearing.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank ordered the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and restriction of liberty assessment, as well as the forfeiture of the devices.
He bailed Howe, of Telford Street, Inverness, to appear at the next calling of the case in October.
