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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Lanarkshire Live

Larkhall man avoids jail after being caught with hundreds of child abuse images

A Larkhall man has been sentenced after he was caught with hundreds of child sex abuse videos and photographs.

Lee Hastie was placed on the sex offenders' register for two years at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week.

Sheriff Colin Dunipace also imposed a two-year supervision order and told the 21-year-old he will be electronically tagged for six months.

This will prevent him leaving his home between 7pm and 7am each day.

He admitted possession of indecent images at an address in Clove Mill Wynd.

The court heard police armed with a search warrant went there in September 2020.

Lee Hastie, 21, was placed on the sex offenders' register for two years at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week. (Lanarkshire Live)

They seized two laptops and a mobile phone.

The devices were analysed and found to contain 321 indecent photos of children and 190 videos featuring child sex abuse.

Aga Mathieson, prosecuting, said 65 of the photos and 124 videos were assessed as Category A, the most serious.

Hastie has no previous convictions and defence agent Andy Thomson described him as "a genuine first offender".

The solicitor added: "There is a background of depression and anxiety.

"He is remorseful and has been open and honest with the social worker compiling what is a positive background report."

Sheriff Dunipace told Hastie, who was deemed unfit to carry out unpaid community work: "I am just convinced that I don't need to send you into custody.

"But if you breach these orders I have in mind a prison sentence of 12 to 18 months."

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