Haddington IT expert caught with haul of child abuse images and videos

A technology manager has been caught with hundreds of horrific child abuse images - including two-year-olds being targeted by adults.

Lindsay Holman was found to have collected 1500 pictures and 20 videos featuring the abuse of youngsters when police raided his home in Haddington, East Lothian, last year

Holman, 64, was at home with his wife when officers arrived with a search warrant but he denied any involvement in possessing the material.

Police then seized several devices from the property and the child abuse images were found on five appliances including his mobile phone and computer equipment.

Shamed: Lindsay Holman hides his face as he leaves Edinburgh Sheriff Court

The recently retired managing director was arrested and charged and he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court where he pleaded guilty to two charges.

Holman is listed online as a former director of engineering development company Televisua Ltd and is also listed as an ex-director with Panasonic.

Fiscal depute Anna Chisholm told the court police turned up at Holman’s home with the warrant on May 25 last year after receiving intelligence images were being downloaded at the property.

Ms Chisholm said Holman claimed he had no knowledge of the images but after the home was searched officers removed electronic devices which were forensically examined.

A mobile phone, a laptop, a system unit and two hard drives were all found to have the vile material contained on them which had been collected over a five year period.

The fiscal added the total amount of images found were 1500 with 130 pictures said to be rated as Category A - the worst end of the spectrum.

The court was also told Holman possessed 20 child abuse movies with 18 of them at Category A.

Ms Chisholm said the images and videos showed the sexual abuse of children aged between two and 14-years-old.

Lawyer Peter O’Neill, defending, said his client was 64-years-old and had recently retired. He reserved all mitigation to the sentencing hearing.

Sheriff Kenneth Maciver said: “This is a case where a full report will be required.”

The sheriff placed Holman on the Sex Offenders’ Register and sentence was deferred to next month.

He also granted the Crown motion to have all the electronic devices confiscated.