A SEX offender who distributed indecent images of children from his £900,000 home in Kilmacolm told how he 'fantasises' about young female members of his own family.

William Robertson, 66 — who was caught with photos of girls aged between four and 15 years — revealed his sordid thoughts to another pervert in a flurry of online messages.

Robertson also wrote on the Kik messenger app that he was 'into schoolgirls', a hearing at Greenock Sheriff Court was told.

Cybercrime police swooped on his plush home as part of an intelligence-led sting operation on May 4 last year.

Officers found 66 indecent images of female children on Robertson's laptop computer and iPhone spanning the three most serious categories.

During the raid, the 66-year-old said to his wife: "I'm not part of a ring or anything like that."

Prosecutor Laura Wilcox told the court how police were acting on information about indecent images 'connected to the accused' being 'uploaded to the internet'.

Fiscal depute Miss Wilcox said: "Child exploitation and abuse material was recovered.

"All of the images were accessible to the user.

"The accused said he fantasizes about young female members of his own family."

Robertson pleaded guilty to charges of, on various occasions, taking or permitting to be taken or making and possession of indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children between August 1 2018 and May 3 2021.

He also admitted to, on various occasions between February 1 and May 4 last year, distributing or showing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children.

Robertson committed the offences at a house on Kilmacolm's West Glen Road and elsewhere. He is currently on bail at a different address.

His plea of not guilty to a charge of covertly filming female children entering a school was accepted by prosecutors.

Sheriff Linda Smith deferred sentence on Robertson until June 29 for a background report and electronic tagging assessment to be carried out.

The sheriff immediately placed him on the Sex Offenders Register, with the length of his inclusion to be determined at his next hearing.