Paedophile unit tracks abuser

Sheppard appeared at the High Court in Glasgow

A man who sexually abused a seven-year-old boy and posted the images on internet was caught after being investigated by a paedophile monitoring project in Ireland.

Gordon Sheppard, 35, took photographs of himself abusing the boy in the youngster's bedroom.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how 1,840 indecent images of Sheppard abusing the boy, including one involving a dog, were posted on the internet.

The court was told that the crimes happened after Sheppard befriended the boy's parents.

The offences were discovered after a research unit into paedophilia at University College, Cork, investigated the images of Sheppard and the boy from the internet.

Advocate depute Alan MacKay, prosecuting, said: "Information was circulated to every UK police force and in February this year police were told that the abuser was called 'Gordon from Stirling' and were given his phone number.

"Police at Stirling identified the man and his victim in the internet images as being Sheppard and the boy."

Long-term effects

Officers in Stirling then searched his home and took away computer discs and clothing that matched the obscene pictures.

A psychologist who examined the boy said he could not say whether or not he would suffer any long-term effects from the abuse.

The boy, now aged 10, was between seven and nine when the abuse took place.

Sheppard was accused of distributing or showing indecent photographs of children from a house in Down Place, Stirling, between July 2001 and 31 October, 2002.

Mr MacKay said: "The boy's parents were devastated to learn of what had happened to their son."

Ian Duguid, QC, defending, said that Sheppard had expressed remorse and shame for what he had done.

Temporary judge, Leeona Dorrian, QC, called for background reports on Sheppard and deferred sentence until 20 June at the High Court in Edinburgh.