A PAEDOPHILE from Greenock has been caught distributing the worst form of child pornography online.

Iain McKelvie, 60, shared the category A material via a popular communications app and was also found to have hundreds of indecent images on his laptop computer.

Police cybercrime officers swooped on his town centre flat in a dawn raid as part of an intelligence-led operation to arrest him.

McKelvie had been collecting the disgusting pictures and videos between February and October last year, Greenock Sheriff Court was told.

Prosecutor Saud Ul Hasan said: "Intelligence was received by police that a device using an IP address associated with the accused's home was being used to access indecent images.

"Acting on the intelligence a search warrant was sought and granted.

"An Asus laptop was seized from the sitting room area and an initial examination indicated that there were indecent images.

"The laptop was sent to the cybercrime unit for further examination.

"The accused was interviewed and made no comment throughout. He made no reply when cautioned and charged."

The court heard how the full examination of the laptop yielded a total of 204 indecent still pictures and 29 videos of children being sexually exploited and abused.

Of the still images, 29 were category A, 32 category B and 140 category C. The videos included 14 category A, nine category B and six category C.

McKelvie pleaded guilty to taking or permitting to be taken or making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children and to distribution of the material.

His plea of not guilty to a charge of possessing an image of bestiality was accepted.

Fiscal depute Mr Ul Hasan said: "One of the images was found to have been shared by the user with another person using an online application.

"It was a still image of category A material."

Sheriff Derek Hamilton deferred sentence until September 5 for background reports and placed McKelvie on the Sex Offenders Register with immediate effect.

Defence lawyer Edward Sweeney reserved his plea in mitigation on behalf of McKelvie until the sentencing hearing.