Repeat paedophile Brian Clark avoids lifelong order
A convicted Dundee sex offender who searched the internet for "extremely graphic" child abuse images has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Brian Clark, 45, was caught with 15 hours of video and almost 450 images of children aged between one and 15 being abused.
He bought a laptop and went back online just two weeks after an internet ban for a previous sex offence had expired.
He will also be supervised for three-and-a-half years following his release.
Judge Lady Stacey imposed the sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh
Clark was convicted at Dundee Sheriff Court in December 2015 of possessing child abuse material after police raided his home in July that year.
The court heard that 268 videos were found, with many of the images being category A, which contains the most serious and graphic material.
Sheriff George Way remitted the case to the High Court for consideration of an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) because of Clark's previous convictions for lewd and libidinous behaviour.
Those given the order are only released back into the community once the parole board consider that they no longer pose a threat to public safety.
Defence advocate Susan Duff told the High Court: "This is a matter which could be dealt with by the imposition of an extended sentence.
"He could take the courses which prisons have available in which he can address his issues.
"He is someone who can become a functioning member of society without having the deviant interests which he has had."
Lady Stacey said: "I am satisfied from the reports placed before me that the matter can be dealt with without the imposition of an OLR."