Edinburgh man caught with hundreds of shocking child abuse images escapes jail sentence

Solt Salat, 27, was found to have downloaded 700 pictures and videos to his mobile phone when police raided his flat at the capital’s Newington area in July 2023.

A forensic cyber crime investigation discovered horror footage involving young children being “restrained” while being sexually abused by adults that was accessed over a four year period.

Salat, who has since moved to Newcastle, was arrested and charged and appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.

Romanian man Solt Norbert Salat, 27, pictured outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court. | Alexander Lawrie

Prosecutor Ruaridh Allison told the court officers arrived at the East Preston Street flat with a search warrant and were allowed entry by a flatmate on July 13, 2023.

Mr Allison said Salat was found in his bedroom where they subsequently seized his phone and a MacBook Air laptop. An examination of the devices was carried out and 700 images and videos were discovered depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Mr Allison told the court hearing 155 of the images were classified as Category A - the most depraved level - and depicted children aged between two and 12-years-old.

Salat returned to the dock for sentencing today, Friday, January 17, where Sheriff Kevin McCarron was told the offender was a Romanian national and had “genuine remorse and regret” for his deviant behaviour.

Sheriff McCarron said the offence “merits a custodial sentence” but decided to issue the first offender with a community payback order instead.

Salat was placed on a two year social work supervision order and told he must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. Salat was also placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

Salat pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children at his former home at East Preston Street, Edinburgh, between September 18, 2019 and July 13, 2023.

He also had a not guilty plea accepted by the Crown to possessing extreme pornographic images depicting people engaged in sexual activity with dogs, horses and poultry between April 20 and July 13, 2023.