Lifeguard who asked young girls to send him naked pictures had child porn on his computer

A former lifeguard with a previous conviction for asking two young girls to send him naked pictures yesterday admitted possessing indecent images of children.

Benjamin Mackay, 23, avoided jail last year for his indecent proposal to the girls, one of whom was only ten, while was an employee of Inverness Leisure Centre.

Yesterday, he was back in the dock at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit having two videos and 12 photographs.

The court was told that police got a tip-off that Mackay, of 5 Woodlands Close, Westhill, had videos and photographs on his computer and raided his home on March 30 this year.

After examination, it was revealed that the images, which had been deleted, had been backed up on to his computer from his iPhone, on October 24, 2014 – almost 15 months after the previous offences involving young children had been committed.

Fiscal Roderick Urquhart told Sheriff Margaret Neilson that two videos were of the most graphic nature whilst a dozen photographs were at the lowest end of the scale.

He continued: “Neither the images nor the videos were accessible and would not be freely available for a user of this computer. They were recovered only with the use of specialist equipment.

“However following examination of the computer and his iPhone it was established that the images that had been on the computer had originated from the iPhone belonging to the accused.”

Sheriff Neilson deferred sentence until April 13 for a background report.

Last May, Mackay was sentenced to the maximum 300 hours unpaid work and a three year community payback order. He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.

Mackay, who worked at Inverness Leisure Centre at the time, admitted two offences of sending sexual messages to the girls and asking them for naked pictures of themselves in July, 2013.

The court was told he used the name “Danny Smith” to contact the 10 and 13-year-olds separately – but he used his real photograph on the social media site and the girls recognised him.

At that time, Mr Urquhart said: “Although he contacted them separately, it is clear that the girls were telling each other about the messages they received.”

Mr Urquhart said one of the girls went to her father and said: “Dad, I need to show you this” and told him about the conversations.