POLICE recovered hundreds of thousands of indecent pictures and videos of children in a raid on a Dumbarton home.

The sickening haul was uncovered when police examined four electronic devices seized from a house in the town’s Doveholm Road.

Andrew Thornton, 32, of Bulldale Street in Yoker, pleaded guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week to a single charge of taking indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children at the three-bedroomed detached home between September 2015 and July 2016.

Martina McGuigan, prosecuting, told the court: “Police received information about the possible creating of indecent images of children at the locus.

“Police attended at the property on May 24, 2017, and were afforded entry by the accused’s then partner.

“A search was carried out and various items were seized, including a PlayStation portable hard drive, a laptop and an Apple hard drive.”

Ms McGuigan said a total of 4,442 moving images were recovered from the seized devices – 47 at the most serious ‘category A’ level, with 241 at category B level and 4,154 at category C.

In addition, across four separate devices police found no fewer than 374, 926 indecent still images, 51 of which were described as category A, with 993 at category B and the rest – 371,882 in total – at category C.

Ms McGuigan read out examples in court of the types of footage found, though the details are too graphic to publish in the Reporter.

Thornton, the court heard, had told police he had a medical condition, and he was later interviewed in the presence of an appropriate adult.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry noted that a psychological report on Thornton had been provided prior to last week’s hearing.

Scott Adair, defending, said the expert psychologist who prepared that report had also been asked to compile a risk assessment on Thornton prior to his sentencing.

Mr Adair also said the defence would have “no difficulty” with a Crown motion to have the electronic devices forfeited, and asked that Thornton’s bail be continued.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry told Thornton: “You must be aware how serious a matter this is.

“You have no previous convictions, but I am required to obtain at least one report; I’m going to obtain three.”

Thornton will return to court in March; sentence was deferred for a criminal justice social work report and a ‘restriction of liberty order’ assessment, along with the psychological risk assessment referred to by Thornton’s solicitor.

The sheriff added: “You will remain on bail. When you appear again, every sentencing option will have to be considered.”

Thornton was also placed on the sex offenders register, though the length of time he will remain on the register will not be decided until he is sentenced.