A LINNVALE pervert has admitted downloading indecent images of children on to devices at his family home over a three-year period.

Ryan Cullen pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the creation and possession of indecent images of children at a property in Greenwood Quadrant between June 2015 and November 2018.

First offender Cullen admitted the charges at a hearing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on October 1.

Kevin Doherty, prosecuting, said 25-year-old Cullen had first appeared in court in connection with the allegations shortly after police visited his home in November of last year.

At that first court appearance, he was released on bail under special conditions.

Mr Doherty said police were granted access to the property by Cullen’s mother at 7.45am of November 27, when they seized a hard drive, a tower unit and a black laptop.

“All the articles were removed from the accused’s bedroom, which he occupies alone,” Mr Doherty said.

“Officers from the Police Scotland cyber crime unit examined the devices, and child sexual exploitation images were found on the hard drive and tower unit.

“The accused was arrested at 8.57am.”

Specialist officers examined the devices further and produced a report in August, and Mr Doherty read the results of that report to the court.

The details are too explicit to be published in the Post, though Mr Doherty said the items found on the devices included a variety of moving and still images at category A (the most serious), B and C, and videos up to 57 minutes long.

Mr Doherty added: “Various login entries, travel documents and files indicated that Ryan Cullen was the user of the devices seized.

“Search terms indicative of paedophilia and searches for child sexual exploitation images were found.”

The charges against Cullen originally accused him of possessing and taking indecent images of children, or permitting them to be taken, over a much longer period, stretching back to November 2008.

But the Crown agreed to accept a plea of guilty to the two charges over the shorter period of three years and five months.

Brian McGuire, defending, acknowledged that background reports would “inevitably” be required before sentence could be passed.

He asked that Cullen’s bail be continued until sentencing.

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Sheriff William Gallacher told Cullen: “These offences are of considerable gravity.

“The consequence of seeking out images such as these is that children are harmed in order that material might be created for your personal interest.

“I will allow your bail to continue, but do not take that as meaning that you will not be sentenced to a period in custody.”

Cullen, who was placed on the sex offenders’ register, was ordered to return to court later this month for sentencing.