PRESTONPANS MAN FOUND WITH INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN
A PRESTONPANS man has been placed on the sex offenders' register after he was caught in possession of indecent images of children.James McGuigan, of Grange Crescent East, was found to have downloaded 42 still images depicting the sexual abuse of children when police raided his home in June last year.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that several devices were seized during the raid and the images were discovered on a mobile phone.
McGuigan, 36, was cautioned and charged, and he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, where he pleaded guilty to the offence.
The court was told that a cybercrime examination of the device revealed pictures showing victims aged between seven and 15 being sexually abused.
Fiscal depute Emma Laing said that the images were categorised as 14 at Category A - the most explicit end of the scale - nine at Category B and a further 19 at Category C.
Sheriff Graeme Watson agreed to release McGuigan on bail and deferred sentence for the preparation of a social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment to next month.
The sheriff placed McGuigan on the sex offenders' register on an interim basis until the sentencing hearing.
McGuigan pleaded guilty to offences of possessing and to making, or permitting to be taken, indecent photos of children at his home address between January 19, 2022, and October 28, 2024.
