Indecent child images on man’s laptop

A man has been put on the sex offenders register for three years after 30 indecent images of children were found on his laptop.

Marcus Marriott, 42, from Dunrossness, was sentenced at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday. 

The thumbnail images, including class A, B and C images, were recovered from the laptop, according to procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie, and had been viewed over a period of just under three months at the end of last year.

“Clearly it is a serious matter,” said defence agent Tommy Allan.

Mr Allan said his client was suffering with depression during this time and “lapsed” after nine years where he had complied with restrictions on him.

Marriott “views this as an addiction”, said Mr Allan, which he would “continue to work against possibly for the rest of his life”. Since the charge Marriott had sought to address these problems, including seeking counselling, and was motivated to change, according to Mr Allan.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said Marriott “certainly accepts more responsibility than many others in his circumstances do”.

Sheriff Cruickshank stressed during sentencing that this was a “direct alternative to a custodial sentence” and the court had the power to bring Marriott back and possibly send him to prison if he failed to comply. The 42-year-old was given a community payback order and placed under supervision for three years.

Marriott was added to the sex offenders register for that period and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within a year.

He is also required to carry out the Moving Forward: Making Changes programme, an intensive treatment programme for sex offenders.