A DALMUIR man who recorded images of naked children has avoided jail.

Alan Bowie created videos of the three youngsters, all under the age of seven, while they were naked in their own home.

The 59-year-old previously pleaded guilty to recording images of the genitals, buttocks or underwear of the children on January 31 or February 1, 2011.

Bowie, of Burns Street, also admitted taking or permitting to be taken indecent images or pseudo images of children between March 2006 and February 2014.

In a separate charge, he pleaded guilty to producing cannabis at his home between January 8 and January 29 last year. He appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week for sentencing.

Bowie’s counsel, advocate Edith Forrest, told the court her client was an “isolated individual” who lived alone and had been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome around five years ago.

Ms Forrest said: “It affects his everyday life and contributes to his isolation.

“He fully accepts the charges to which he pleaded guilty.” Bowie had claimed the images were not indecent because he was an artist, but Sheriff William Gallacher told him: “You stepped beyond the boundary of what is acceptable.” Sheriff Gallacher ordered Bowie to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work in nine months and placed him under supervision for three years. A special conduct requirement of the order was included, meaning Bowie must not have unsupervised access with children under the age of 16.

His internet use will be restricted and he has been placed on the sex offenders’ register.