AN AYRSHIRE man has confessed to amassing a sickening haul of child abuse images - including indecent pictures of a four-month-old baby.

Kieran Alexander was just 16 years old when he began gathering his distressing stash of photos - and continued doing so for more than four and a half years.

Police found more than 900 indecent images of children when they carried out a search of his mobile phone.

Alexander, now 22, pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children at locations across the area, including Kilwinning, Kilmarnock and Stewarton.

The period covered by the charge started on March 8, 2018 - Alexander's 16th birthday - and ended on December 1, 2022.

Alexander also admitted a separate charge of distributing or showing similar photographs between March 3, 2020 and March 1, 2021.

The offences took place at his current home address in Bridge Lane in Kilmarnock, Pollock Crescent in Kilwinning, Meikle Cutstraw Farm in Stewarton, and elsewhere.

A hearing at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court was told that based on intelligence received, police had sought and obtained a warrant to search Alexander's home.

Officers went to his workplace on December 1, 2022 and told him about the warrant.

He went with cops to his home address and allowed them entry.

 

During the search, police discovered a mobile phone in one of Alexander's trouser pockets which contained indecent images of children.

The court was told that when questioned by police, Alexander had made "full and frank admissions".

A total of 912 images were found on the phone with one of the children as young as four months.

The court heard how the largest quantity of images were from the Kick messaging app, which Alexander also used to distribute the pictures to others under the username Scottish8.

His lawyer told the court that Alexander was in full time employment as a mechanic, and had no previous convictions.

Sheriff Nicola Patrick deferred sentence for background reports until a later date and released Alexander on bail.

Alexander was placed on the sex offenders register on an interim basis; he will be told at his sentencing how long his name will stay on the register.