A TEENAGER addicted to viewing child abuse porn could be facing a lengthy custodial sentence.
Antony Clayson – who also uses the names Antony Brown and Murdo Brown – admitted downloading 757 pornographic images and videos of children on three computers at his former home in Hawick. Ten of the images were level five – the most serious category – involving adults having penetrative sex with children using restraints and also youngsters in sexual contact with an animal.
Sentence was deferred on the 19-year-old at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Friday for background reports.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said that in February police received information that Clayson was viewing indecent images of children at an address in North Bridge Street, Hawick.
A search warrant was granted and the haul of child abuse images and films, mostly young boys, in all five levels of the guidelines, was discovered on three computers at the property.
Mr Fraser said the images involved children performing sexual acts, mainly involving boys around 12 years old.
Clayson, who describes himself as a musician, told police he was “gay with a twist” – the twist being he was occasionally attracted to girls.
Mr Fraser continued: “In the last year it had become an addiction and he would view the images most days.”
The court was told that Clayson would carry out a sex act while viewing the child porn, but denied to police ever physically abusing children.
Mr Fraser said of the images discovered on Clayson’s computers, 310 were at level one, 90 at level two, 102 at level three, 245 at level four and 10 at level five.
Ross Dow, defending, said Clayson had described how it had started with his attraction towards to children, adding: “It then became an addiction and on most days he would look at the images.”
He explained how Clayson had tried to delete the level five images, saying: “Even he felt they were too extreme.”
He added that his client viewed the material for his sexual gratification, saying: “Usually they would be teenagers, but accepts many were much younger. For what it’s worth he says that he has never had sexual contact with children.
“He never sought help because he feared he would be locked up.”
Clayson was described in court as showing levels of autism and Mr Dow added that he had a history of difficulties in childhood, including being the victim of bullying.
Mr Dow added that Clayson had fully co-operated with police during the search and investigation.
Sheriff Donald Corke deferred sentence on Clayson, now living at an address in Walkerburn, until January 25 for background reports and ordered that his name be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.