KELSO MAN FOUND WITH 1,500 PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF CHILDREN
2026-06-17 09:55: A man from Kelso who was found to possess over 1,500 indecent photographs and videos of children narrowly avoided a prison term at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.Thomas Moriarty, aged 36, admitted to two charges of possessing and downloading the illegal material between March and October 2023.
He also pleaded guilty to a third count of sending obscene messages related to the sexual abuse of minors.
According to the court, police visited his residence in Kelso with permission from his partner and retrieved a mobile phone that contained explicit images of males and females aged between one and 16 engaging in sexual acts.
Another device with similar content was also confiscated.
Moriarty acknowledged to authorities, "I will be honest, there is stuff." Prosecutor Ruaridh Allison explained that one phone held 780 indecent photographs and 401 videos of children, while the other contained additional explicit images and 32 videos.
Sheriff Robert Fife noted that Moriarty could have been sentenced to two years in prison but instead was given a community payback order, including 300 hours of unpaid work, an eight-month night-time curfew, and a requirement to register as a sex offender.
--------------------------- 2026-05-06 10:31: A KELSO man found with more than 1,500 indecent photos and videos of children will be sentenced next month at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
Thirty-six-year-old Thomas Moriarty pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing and downloading the pornographic material between March and October 2023.
He also admitted a third charge of sending obscene messages to another person.
The court was told police visited his home in Kelso, with access granted by his partner.
A mobile phone containing explicit photos of males and females aged between one and 16 engaged in sexual activity was recovered.
Officers also seized another phone from Moriarty at his work, which contained similar material.
While en route to Hawick Police Station, Moriarty asked for his phone back, but officers said it needed to be examined.
Moriarty then said, "I will be honest, there is stuff." Examination revealed both phones had social media applications like Telegram, Snapchat, Kik, and WhatsApp signed in.
From the first phone alone, police found 780 indecent images and 401 videos of children.
The second phone contained 418 indecent images and 32 videos.
Moriarty's search history showed repeated attempts to access child sexual abuse material.
He also communicated indecently with an anonymous person on Telegram, sending explicit photos of an underage girl.
Sheriff Peter Paterson noted the case had a significant sexual element and warned that the court would view this seriously.
Sentencing was deferred until June 15 for background reports.
