East Lothian crime: Man caught with bestiality videos escapes sex offenders register

Fleming was found in possession of extreme pornography.

A man who was caught with a horror collection of bestiality videos has escaped being placed on the Sex Offenders Register due to a legal loophole.

Scott Fleming was found with vile movies showing adults engaging in sexual activity with animals including a horse, a pig and a dog when police raided his home two years ago.

During the search Fleming, 27, was also found to have downloaded a shocking film depicting a man having a “live moving drill” inserted into his penis.

Scott Fleming at Court

Fleming pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing extreme pornographic material between March 19 and May 10, 2021 when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

He was back in the dock for sentencing last week where Sheriff Adrian Fraser said the terms of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 “do not apply to the circumstances of this offence”.

The court previously heard offenders who are convicted of possessing extreme pornography can only be placed on the Sex Offenders Register if they are jailed for more than 12 months.

Fleming appeared at court on a summary complaint meaning he could not receive a custodial sentence of more than 12 months. Fleming, from Prestonpans was instead sentenced

to a nine month supervision order and ordered to carry out 162 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Defence agent Jay MacAskill said her client was currently unemployed and there had been “no sexual gratification in possessing such videos”.

Last month fiscal depute Debbie King told the court police arrived at Fleming’s home with a search warrant at around 9.15am on May 10, 2021. Ms King said officers from the National Child Abuse Unit searched the property and seized electrical equipment including a mobile phone, a laptop and an external hard drive.

The fiscal said four MP4 videos were discovered on Fleming’s phone showing “sexual acts between an adult female and a horse, a pig and an adult male and a dog”.

Ms King added one movie also featured “an adult female and an adult male inserting a live moving drill into another man’s penis”.

The court was told Fleming was arrested and charged with possession of extreme pornography and made no reply to caution after being taken to St Leonard’s police station in Edinburgh.