A Midlothian-based au pair who was caught with more than 330 paedophile computer images has been jailed for nine months.
Graeme Brown, 24, admitted possession and sending pictures to a police officer in the USA, who was pretending to be a teenager on the internet.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard on Monday it was the New Hampshire detective who alerted Lothian and Borders Police.
Brown, from Canada, admitted having hundreds of images on his computers.
Paedophile tendencies
The court heard that police found Brown working in Dalkeith caring for three boys.
The Fiscal Depute, Liz Paton, said Brown told police in Scotland he had been downloading images of boys involved in sexual acts since his arrival in Scotland.
She also revealed that Brown had been diagnosed in Canada at the age of 17 as having paedophile tendencies.
As well as being sent to jail, Brown is being put on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.
Sheriff Charles Stoddart is recommending deportation at the end of the sentence and an investigation into whether risk assessment reports done on Brown can be sent to the authorities in Canada.
He said he had been downloading them since coming to Scotland
Fiscal Depute Liz Paton
He was caught after posting an image of two naked boys, aged about nine, kissing and cuddling in the shower to police detective James McLaughlin in New Hampshire, USA.
The officer had been posing as a 14-year-old boy called Brad on a chat room as part of a team policing the internet.
Ms Paton told the court: "He said he had been downloading them since coming to Scotland.
"He said this was his way of restricting his activities and he would masturbate over the images. He also admitted having a dialogue with Brad."
When he was interviewed by police he said: "I am aware of the gravity of this and as a Canadian citizen I am requesting that I pursue medical rehabilitation in Canada, rather than go to jail."
Defence agent, Jim Wardlaw, said Brown had demonstrated some remorse over his actions.
He had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and co-operated fully with the police.
Mr Wardlaw added that his client had no previous convictions of any kind in the UK or Canada.
Story from BBC NEWS:
Graeme Brown, 24, admitted possession and sending pictures to a police officer in the USA, who was pretending to be a teenager on the internet.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard on Monday it was the New Hampshire detective who alerted Lothian and Borders Police.
Brown, from Canada, admitted having hundreds of images on his computers.
Paedophile tendencies
The court heard that police found Brown working in Dalkeith caring for three boys.
The Fiscal Depute, Liz Paton, said Brown told police in Scotland he had been downloading images of boys involved in sexual acts since his arrival in Scotland.
She also revealed that Brown had been diagnosed in Canada at the age of 17 as having paedophile tendencies.
As well as being sent to jail, Brown is being put on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.
Sheriff Charles Stoddart is recommending deportation at the end of the sentence and an investigation into whether risk assessment reports done on Brown can be sent to the authorities in Canada.
He said he had been downloading them since coming to Scotland
Fiscal Depute Liz Paton
He was caught after posting an image of two naked boys, aged about nine, kissing and cuddling in the shower to police detective James McLaughlin in New Hampshire, USA.
The officer had been posing as a 14-year-old boy called Brad on a chat room as part of a team policing the internet.
Ms Paton told the court: "He said he had been downloading them since coming to Scotland.
"He said this was his way of restricting his activities and he would masturbate over the images. He also admitted having a dialogue with Brad."
When he was interviewed by police he said: "I am aware of the gravity of this and as a Canadian citizen I am requesting that I pursue medical rehabilitation in Canada, rather than go to jail."
Defence agent, Jim Wardlaw, said Brown had demonstrated some remorse over his actions.
He had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and co-operated fully with the police.
Mr Wardlaw added that his client had no previous convictions of any kind in the UK or Canada.
Story from BBC NEWS:
