A DAD who accessed horrific images of children as young as six being sexually exploited has been spared prison — despite showing ‘no remorse’ for the victims of the abuse that he revelled in.

John Beckett obtained a string of still pictures depicting acts categorised in law as the worst form of child pornography — Category A — as well as other level B and C material.

The shamed pervert hid his face as he left Greenock Sheriff Court after skulking inside the building for nearly an hour following his sentencing hearing, during which it was stated that he has ‘no empathy’ for the abused children he viewed.

Sheriff Derek Hamilton decided not to jail the Port Glasgow father after background and psychological reports urged a community-based punishment coupled with ‘assistance and aid’.

But the lawman pointedly told Beckett that this would be by ‘no means a soft option’ as he attached a catalogue of stringent conditions on top of placing him on the sex offenders’ register for three years.

Sheriff Hamilton told Beckett: “You have no previous convictions, which is a mitigating factor, but you have shown no remorse — neither have you taken any steps to limit your offending behaviour.”

Beckett was unwittingly monitored as he accessed scores of illegal images on the internet during overnight stays at his parents’ home in Greenock.

He was caught out using ‘peer-to-peer’ file sharing software to connect with computers that were hosting a torrent of illegal content.

Prosecutor David McDonald told the court that police had received information in July last year that a computer being used to access the photos was ‘connected to the internet’.

Mr McDonald said: “A search warrant was sought and granted and at 9am on August 6 officers attended at the locus.

“All of the images had been deleted and were no longer available. They were of both male and female children ranging in age from six to 12.”

Beckett viewed four Category A pictures, nine Category B and 59 Category C, which are deemed in law as images which show ‘erotic posing’.

His lawyer Richard Lobjoie told the sentencing hearing: “It is not a long list of images. It is fairly limited.”

Mr Lobjoie said that Beckett was sacked from a ‘good job’ he had in the wake of his guilty plea.

The solicitor said: “The background report says that he is viewed as being of a low to moderate risk of re-offending.

“Effectively there is an 80 per cent chance that he will not get into any other form of trouble, if given assistance and aid.” 

However, the court also heard that the social work report on Beckett concluded that he ‘does not have any empathy’ with the victims.

Beckett pleaded guilty to taking or permitting to be taken indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children between August 1 and 4 2012 and between May 13 and July 18 last year.

His not guilty pleas to charges of possession of child pornography between September 1 2007 and August 6 last year and an image depicting bestiality were accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Derek Hamilton told the sex offender: “It seems to me that through all the reports on you, you seek to minimise your culpability.

“You blame other people for producing the material and say that you just downloaded it. There are victims out there, some not much older than children you would have had direct contact with.”

The lawman said: “I agree with Mr Lobjoie that this can be dealt with by means of a community order, but this is by no means a soft option.”

The sheriff ruled that Beckett, of Methil Road in Port Glasgow, must carry out 225 hours of unpaid work as he placed him on the sex offenders’ register.

In addition, he will be reported to Scottish ministers so that he is prevented from ever working with children.

He will also be under the strict supervision of social workers for three years and must also undertake and complete an offender rehabilitation programme.