Edinburgh crime: Edinburgh student Cheng Xia caught with haul of almost 250,000 child abuse images and videos

The student was caught with almost 250,000 images and videos

An Edinburgh student has been caught with a shocking haul of almost 250,000 child abuse images and videos.

Cheng Xia, 24, was found to be in possession of the massive collection of sick material over a six year period when police raided his home in the capital last year. Xia, who was due to begin studying for a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh, appeared in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to the offence.

Defence solicitor George Henry told the court his client’s university plans are now on hold due to his arrest in November last year. Prosecutor Ross Price told the court police officers arrived at Xia’s flat in the Newington area of the city with a search warrant on November 25 last year.

Edinburgh student Cheng Xia, 24, was found to be in possession of the massive collection last year

Devices were seized and it was subsequently discovered the chemistry student had downloaded a total of 234,039 indecent images of children and 1531 videos. The court heard 202 images and seven films were rated at Category A - the most depraved end of the scale - along with 1015 pictures and 21 videos at Category B. The Category C files showed he had 232, 872 images and 1503 videos depicting child abuse.

Sheriff Robert Fife placed Xia on the Sex Offenders Register and deferred sentence to November 29. Xia pleaded guilty to possessing a total of 234,375 images and videos of indecent images of children at his home address between January 1, 2017 and November 25 last year.