A man who was caught with 20,000 indecent images of children has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Police raided Steven McArthur’s family home in Dunoon, Argyll, on 14 May last year following a wider investigation by West Midlands Police.

The 25-year-old admitted the charges against him, claiming he had an obsession which caused “no harm”.

At the High Court in Glasgow, McArthur was ordered to be supervised for another four years after his release.

The court heard how McArthur was caught after it was discovered he had passed on some images via a file-sharing website.

Obsessive habit

Prosecutor Sheena Fraser said: “He admitted viewing indecent images from the age of 13 until the day before the search.

“He claimed it was an obsession that he found impossible to give up as he found them sexually stimulating.”

Ms Fraser added McArthur knew what he was doing was illegal, but “saw no harm in his actions”.

The advocate depute went on: “He further claimed he did not require counselling or rehabilitation.”

The court heard that the images found were mainly of male children ranging in ages up to about 15.

 

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