A 68-YEAR-OLD man who had been downloading child porn over a period of more than three years has been sentenced to supervision.

William Kirk, of Woodend Park, Cardenden, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing.

He admitted previously that between October 8, 2018, and October 31 last year, he downloaded indecent images of children.

Defence solicitor Alan Davie said his client was “embarrassed and ashamed” of his conduct.

However, he accepted Kirk had also tried to minimise his offending when speaking to a social worker.

Sheriff Alison Michie said that, given the search terms used, the images were not “something he’s stumbled upon”.

The sheriff imposed a community payback order with 18 months of supervision. Kirk was also put on the sex offenders’ register for the same period.