RYAN LEAMONT JAILED IN INVERNESS FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY DISCOVERED ON WORK COMPUTER

Inverness Sheriff Court heard a disturbing case involving Ryan Leamont, a man who was found to possess a significant collection of indecent images of children on his work computer. The investigation was initiated after a colleague, intending to play a harmless prank, guessed Leamont's password and accessed his computer. The colleague's plan was to change the screensaver, but what they discovered was far more alarming.

According to court proceedings, Leamont, aged 39, was employed as an events organiser for Highland Council at the Nevis Centre in Fort William. During routine checks, the staff at the centre noticed suspicious activity on Leamont's computer. The centre manager, having observed Leamont entering his password on previous occasions, guessed it and gained access to his files. What he found was deeply troubling: a history of websites with titles and abbreviated names that suggested a focus on young girls.

Further inspection revealed explicit images, including naked photographs of young girls. One particular site displayed a disclaimer claiming that none of the girls depicted were over the age of 16. The staff member's concern grew as he reviewed the content, which included a total of 11,893 indecent images and three films, most of which were classified at the lower end of the severity scale, showing naked children.

It was during the analysis of the work computer and a personal laptop that authorities confirmed the extent of Leamont's possession of illegal material. The court was told that Leamont had fled the country in June 2005, shortly after the images were discovered, and was subsequently traced to Canada in 2009. He was extradited back to Scotland earlier this year to face charges.

Leamont admitted to possessing the images, which led to his sentencing. The court heard that he had previously spent three months in custody in Canada and was placed on the sex offenders register for ten years. His legal representative, John Keenan, argued that Leamont had undergone psychiatric counselling in his home country and that he left Scotland after losing his job. Keenan emphasized that Leamont was part of a small, close-knit community where his background was well known, and he accepted that he would be jailed.

He also noted that Leamont was a first-time offender, assessed as a low risk of re-offending, and was supported by his family. The defence highlighted that Leamont intended to return to Canada after serving his sentence.

In delivering his judgment, Sheriff Ian Abercrombie acknowledged the complexity of the case, describing it as 'a difficult one.' He took into account the time Leamont had already served in custody and clarified that the possession was for personal use, with no evidence suggesting manufacturing, distribution, or sharing of the images. Ultimately, Leamont was sentenced to six months in prison for his crimes.