A retired company director has dodged jail after being caught with sick images of children being sexually abused, including toddlers as young as two.
Lindsay Holman, who once held a senior role with technology firm Panasonic, amassed the vile haul over five years at his East Lothian home.
The 64-year-old appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday after sentencing was deferred for reports.
Sheriff Kenneth Maciver told Holman: “What you are viewing is the sexual abuse of children. How anyone can gain satisfaction from that is beyond most people’s understanding.”
The sheriff said the upper courts had determined that alternatives to custody be applied if possible in cases like Holman’s.
Sheriff Maciver added: “It’s not my personal view.”
He said Holman had downloaded and viewed videos and photos featuring boys and girls ages between two and 14.
Holman was placed on supervision for three years and ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register for three years.
Earlier in the hearing, defence agent Peter O’Neill said his client “had an interest in adult pornography” but was “part of a group were all kinds of pornography was shared” and thought he’d deleted the child abuse material.
Mr O’Neill said Holman’s wife and family were “shocked but supportive” of him.
The solicitor added Holman was “deeply ashamed” and “feels very foolish”.
Last month the court heard how cops swooped on Holman’s home in Haddington with a search warrant on May 25 last year and confiscated several electronic devices.
Fiscal depute Anna Chisholm said a systems unit was used to access nearly 500 indecent images of children, including 84 photos at Category A - the worst level.
The examination of a laptop uncovered almost 500 images, 46 at Category A. The laptop also contained 17 Category A videos.
An external hard drive held a Category A video while a second hard drive had more indecent images on it.
Holman admitted possessing indecent images of youngsters between August 20 2016 and May 25 2021.
According to company records, Holman was managing director of research firm Televisua Ltd during much of this period.
Companies House records showed Holman applied to dissolve the company in June 2020.
Holman’s listed areas of expertise include digital video and TV, mobile devices, consumer electronics, and interactive television.
