North Berwick man appears at Edinburgh Sheriff Court after being caught with horror child abuse images

Stevan McIntosh was found to have downloaded the shocking haul of child abuse images when police raided his home in North Berwick in October 2023.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the videos and pictures found on McIntosh’s mobile phone included several Category A images - the most depraved end of the spectrum.

Fiscal depute Chelsea Martin told the court officers turned up at the 64-year-old’s home with a search warrant at around 7.30pm on October 5, 2023.

Stevan McIntosh was caught with a horror collection of child rape images. | Alexander Lawrie

Ms Martin said McIntosh was within the home alone and had voluntarily handed over his phone to police. A forensic examination on the device was carried out and a total of 13 video files and 15 still images of children being sexually abused had been sent to him through WhatsApp.

The court was told there were six pictures and 10 videos rated at Category A that depicted female children between the ages of five and 14-years-old.

Ms Martin said the material included young children engaging in penetrative sexual activity with adults and other children.

Sheriff Derek O’Carroll placed McIntosh on the sex offenders register on an interim basis and deferred sentence for the preparation of social work reports to next month. McIntosh appeared at the capital court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to an offence of taking, or allowing to be taken, indecent images of children at his home between January 13, 2022 and October 5, 2023.