Pervert jailed over haul of child images

A MAN who was caught with more than 2000 indecent images and videos of children - some as young as a few years old - has been jailed for 16 months.

Police raided the home of Eamonn Kurtz, 53, of Murieston Crescent, Edinburgh, on February 10 this year and took away computer equipment including a desktop PC, laptop and DVDs.

The officers found 1861 images and 278 films on his computer showing young boys and girls.

When interviewed by police, Kurtz said that he wasn't fully aware that it was an offence to possess the images and that he derived some pleasure from watching the images.

Kurtz appeared before Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday.

Defence lawyer Stephen Knowles made a plea that Kurtz had been assessed and was reckoned to be at a low risk of causing harm to children.

Mr Knowles asked that a probation order be considered as an alternative to custody.

But Sheriff John Horsburgh sentenced him to 24 months, reduced to 16 months, and placed him on the sex offenders register.