Jailed: Midlothian man who was caught with sickening hoard of child abuse images

A pervert who was caught with a hoard of disgusting images of child abuse has been jailed for 12 months.
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Jose Gonzalez, 48, downloaded hundreds of depraved pictures and videos of children being sexually abused by adults over a four year period of repeat offending.

The father-of-two was found to have the sickening collection – including some involving children as young as six-years-old - hidden away on a computer when Police Scotland officers raided his home in June 2020.

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Gonzalez denied the allegations despite being caught red-handed and stood trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in December last year where a jury convicted him on the evidence presented by prosecutors.

Gonzalez was convicted by a jury and jailed at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.Gonzalez was convicted by a jury and jailed at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Gonzalez was convicted by a jury and jailed at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

The jury also decided Gonzalez, from Newtongrange, Midlothian, was not guilty of a charge of possessing extreme pornography involving bestiality and he was cleared of that allegation.

He returned to the dock for sentencing where Sheriff Daniel Kelly said his offending had involved “planning and deliberate action” and that a report compiled by criminal justice social workers cautioned that he had “limited insight” into his behaviour.

Sheriff Kelly added: “We heard the evidence at the trial and as I recall the children involved in the videos and photographs ranged between the ages of six and 16-years-old.

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“There were a number of still images and videos and some were accessible and some were not.

“I do have to consider the seriousness of the offence of which you have been convicted of having these images in your possession.

“I also have to consider the considerable harm that was caused to the children involved.”

Gonzalez was jailed for 12 months and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

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Solicitor Paul Smith, defending, said his client was married but separated and has two young children.

Mr Smith said Gonzalez had recently been employed as a service manager with a company based in Livingston and has no previous convictions.

The lawyer added following his arrest Gonzalez had been having “supervised visits” with his children twice a week.

Gonzalez was found to have possessed indecent images of children between January 23, 2016 and June 11, 2020.

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