Jail for employee at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University who was caught with 5,300 child abuse images

Souto, 37, was initially suspended when he was charged in June last year.

Pablo Souto was caught with more than 5,000 horrific pictures of children as young as six-months-old being sexually abused by adults.

Souto, 37, was employed by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh to assist students with their accommodation and was initially suspended when he was charged in June last year.

The university were told of the prosecution but following a “full risk assessment” Souto was allowed to continue working at the campus on “modified duties” while awaiting the outcome of the criminal case.

The Spanish national was suspended for a second time last month after he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to admit possessing child abuse images at his former home in the Capital.

Souto returned to the dock for sentencing on Friday where Sheriff Daniel Kelly jailed him for 16 months and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Sheriff Kelly said: “You appear before the court as someone with no previous convictions and are someone who was working well within the community.

“You have shown remorse and attended at the Stop It Now centre and consulted with [a psychotherapist].

“On the other hand I have to take into account a number of aggravations in particular there are a significant number of Category A images in your case.

“I have to take into the account the age of the children and some of them were as young as six months.”

The sheriff said Souto’s name would be sent to Scottish Ministers for his name to be added to the list of those banned from working with children and vulnerable adults in the future.

Solicitor Mark Harrower said his client was a first offender and had been treated for “depression and anxiety” following his arrest.

The lawyer added Souto, currently of Morrison Street, Edinburgh, had been in the UK for five years and his court appearance would most likely see his application for residency be “refused”.

Mr Harrower added: “He feels very ashamed and guilty at what he has done.”

Previously the court heard police raided Souto’s former home at the city’s Sinclair Place and officers “seized a laptop belonging to the accused” on June 23 last year.

Fiscal depute Rosie Cook said the computer was found to have 5,388 indecent images of children stored on it including 946 Category A images - the most depraved end of the spectrum.

Ms Cook said the abuse images showed children ranging from six-month-old female babies to 16-year-old female teenagers being sexually abused by adults.

Souto admitted to a charge of taking, or allowing to be taken, indecent images of children at an address at Sinclair Place, Edinburgh, between March 19, 2019 and June 23 last year.

Heriot-Watt University has been approached for comment.

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