Former restaurateur admits keeping child sex pictures

A FORMER successful restaurateur has admitted having indecent photographs of children in his possession.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday heard Thomas Sillar, 46, had 210 indecent images on his computer.

Fiscal depute Isabel Clark told the court that Sillar, who has a similar previous conviction, was being monitored by the police - which included home visits.

She said: "When police officers attended at his house they saw a laptop on his table which was switched on.

"They asked him if he had anything on the laptop which might be illegal and he replied he did not."

She said officers then looked at the computer and discovered the images.

Mrs Clark added: "The accused later admitted he had accessed the sites and obtained the images. He said he did it 'because I wanted to'."

Sillar, of Stuart Crescent, pleaded guilty to possessing indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children on February 22 last year.

Sheriff Derrick McIntyre said Sillar's name would be on the sex offenders' register and deferred sentence until next month for background reports.