A PAEDOPHILE who was caught uploading a naked photograph of a young boy on Skype has avoided jail.

Shaun Gourlay was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday (May 14) to three counts of possession of an indecent image of a child.

The 33-year-old was caught with 20 Category A images, two of which were moving, eight Category B images, and two Category C images.

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His devices were searched after police were alerted to an indecent image being uploaded to Skype, a free video and messaging chat, in February 2021.

Sentencing him to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, Judge Hassan Khan said: “Your mental health is a real concern particularly if you entered into immediate custody with your diagnosis of schizophrenia.

“You don’t accept, it seems, you have never accepted committing these offences which is a common feature of these types of offences.”

Opening the case, prosecutor Robert Forrest said a search warrant was executed at Gourlay’s address in Cornish Road, Chipping Norton, in March 2022.

Several devices were seized, including a laptop and an iPhone, which were then examined by officers.

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Before the images were discovered, Gourlay was interviewed but he denied having possession of any indecent images.

As well as the images, it was also discovered the defendant had been making searches for ‘preteen boys’ and ‘male pre-teen models’.

Mr Forrest said: “It showed he had an interest in adolescent and pre-pubescent boys. [On Snapchat], there was a conversation found, sexual in nature, between the used and someone reporting at least to be a child.

“This defendant was fantasising about a 16-year-old boy turning 18 so they could meet.”

It was heard that the father of the boy had responded: “This is [boy’s] dad, stop messaging my son.”

He also mentioned that officers had found an indecent image of a young boy uploaded to Skype under the username ‘ShaunGourlay1’.

However, the defendant faced no further charges for the Snapchat conversation or Skype incident.

The court heard he has no previous convictions but some cautions for drug-related offences.

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Defending Gourlay, barrister Christopher Pembridge said that a psychiatric report had been completed which showed his client was ‘an unwell man’ who had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Gourlay received 10 months imprisonment for the Category A images, two months concurrent for the Category B images, and one month concurrent for the Category C images – all suspended for 24 months.

He will also need to complete the Horizon Sex Offenders Programme and be made subject to notification requirements for 10 years.