March 2014 Two men sentenced for indecent images of children  Two men were sentenced on Wednesday after police raids at their homes revealed indecent images of children on their computers John Thomson and David Watkin (pictured above) , who appeared on unrelated cases were both placed on the sex offenders register Sheriff Petra Collins told Thomson, 67: “Any indecent image of a child will always be treated as a serious matter because these are not just pictures.” “Behind every picture there is a real child who has been subject to real sexual and psychological abuse” “And those looking at such images created the demand for such pictures” Thomson now living in Hamilton admitted downloading 20 moving images and one still image of a child between August 2010 and June 2013, whilst living in Tainloan Drive, Carluke Acting on information, police obtained a warrant and went to his house at 9-15am on June 27th. Thomson told them the computer was his and that his wife knew nothing about it. The court heard that an analysis of the images showed he “had a predilection” for children aged between five and twelve years old. The images varied in seriousness of indecency His defence told the court that Thomson had given great service to the community. “He finds himself, having strayed from the path, in a simply catastrophic situation” he said “Every facet of his life has been shattered by the situation he finds himself in” Sheriff Collins placed Thomson on a community payback order for 30 months, ordered him to do 101 hours of unpaid work, and placed him on the sex offenders register for 30 months David Watkin, 20 had also been caught after police officers armed with a search warrant went to his family home in Lesmahagow at 9am Indecent images of children – mostly girls aged between eight to fifteen years old – were found on two computers He had downloaded them between September 2011 and April 2012. All were still images The court was told his offending had caused difficulties for his parents  Watkin, now living of Knocklea, Biggar was placed on the sex offenders register for two years and put on a community payback order with supervison