Man jailed for 'colossal' haul of extreme child abuse images

A man caught with a "colossal" collection of extreme child abuse images has been jailed for two years.

Michael Walsh, 30, of Banff, Aberdeenshire, admitted having tens of thousands of images and videos involving young children, including babies and toddlers. Some of the material also involved animals.

The offences happened between 2021 and 2025.

At Aberdeen Sheriff Court, first offender Walsh was told that a custodial sentence was the only option.

Fiscal depute Andrew McMann said police acting on intelligence had searched Walsh's home.

Equipment was seized, and the picture files and videos were found.

McMann said the video material lasted a total of 33 hours.

Walsh told police he had found the material on the dark web and downloaded it, initially out of curiosity and then for gratification.

Defence lawyer Stuart Beveridge said Walsh had acted on compulsion and was "disgusted" by what he had done.

Sheriff Morag McLaughlin said there was a "colossal" volume of material related to child sexual abuse, much at extreme levels.

She said, even appearing as a first offender, she could see no alternative to custody given the serious nature of the case.

The sheriff said she had to express in the strongest of terms society's disapproval, and recognise the huge harm such crimes caused.

She reduced what would have been a three-year jail term to two years because of the guilty plea.

She also placed Walsh on the sex offenders register for 10 years.