A dad has been jailed after distributing indecent images of children online and discussing sickening abuse fantasies.
Scott Smollet used Snapchat to swap horrifying pictures of child sex abuse.
Children as young as three featured in his depraved stash of images, which included 22 files ranked as category A – the most serious.
The 45-year-old was caught when police received intelligence about indecent images of children being uploaded from his address in Kintore.
Sentence had been deferred on Smollet for reports, but he has now appeared back in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for sentencing.
Accused ‘indulged in roleplay fantasies’
Defence agent Gregor Kelly said his client had been “struggling with low self-esteem, poor mental health and chronic loneliness”.
He added: “He appears to have been in a truly low pit of depression at the time.”
Mr Kelly explained the distribution of indecent images had been “extremely limited”.
He added the father-of-three had no previous convictions.
The solicitor said Smollet had “found himself on sexual chat websites looking for company and perhaps romance” while at a “low point” with his business struggling due to lockdown.
He said: “He became enmeshed in this dark place where he indulged in roleplay fantasies and got carried away to his great shame.
“This is not a gateway for Mr Smollet to anything more sinister.
“It’s fantasies, but real children were abused in the making of the images, and that’s been brought home to him.”
‘Very serious offences’
Smollet previously pled guilty to distributing or showing indecent images of children, and to taking, permitting to be taken or making indecent images of children.
The offences were committed between November 30 2019 and August 26 2020.
Sheriff Philip Mann told Smollet, of Brae Crescent, Kintore: “These are very serious offences. What makes it particularly serious in your case is the fact it involves distribution, albeit the distribution was limited.
“In my view the only appropriate sentence is a custodial sentence.”
He ordered Smollet to be jailed for six months and to be subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act for seven years.
Smollet sent the images to person online
Fiscal depute Lynzi Souter previously told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “On September 14 2020, intelligence was received that indecent images of children were uploaded at the locus through Kik and Snapchat accounts.”
On September 28 last year police officers visited his home and a number of electronic devices were seized.
She said: “During a preview examination of an iPhone belonging to the accused, five category A images were found.
“The images featured girls aged approximately six to eight years old.
“A chat with an unidentified person was also found where one category A image had been sent from the phone on May 2 2020. The image was of a boy and a girl aged approximately 10 years old.
“On August 16 2020 the same person was sent two category A images and one category A video from the phone.
“The images feature girls approximately eight years old and the video features a girl aged approximately six years old.”
Chats included ‘fantasies about sexually abusing children’
Mrs Souter said Smollet “spoke freely” in his police interview.
She said: “The accused admitted to accessing and viewing indecent images of children and sharing indecent images with others.
“He admitted using chat websites to engage in sexualised conversations with others and to exchange sexual images including indecent images of children.”
Smollet was cautioned and charged.
A full cybercrime examination of the phone was carried out and 45 indecent images and videos were recovered.
“Highly sexualised” chats with other people were also found.
Mrs Souter said: “The content of the chats included fantasies about sexually abusing children.
“During these chats, the accused sent indecent images of children to others.
“There were 39 images and six video files. These featured girls and boys estimated to be between three and 16 years old engaged in sexual activity with adults and each other and sexualised posing.”
A total of 22 of these files, a mixture of accessible and inaccessible ones, were category A.
‘No excuse for their actions’
Following the sentence, Detective Inspector Anna Johnston, of Police Scotland’s National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “We welcome the sentencing of Smollet, who was jailed for six months and will now have to face the consequences of his actions.
“Online offenders may think they are anonymous, and they may not comprehend the terrible, devastating and lifelong impact their actions have on children. But there is no excuse for their actions.
“Police Scotland is committed to the protection of children and to bringing all perpetrators of sexual abuse to justice.
“We would urge anyone who wishes to report any child protection concerns or sexual crime to contact us on 101 so we can conduct a thorough investigation.”
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