Ex-animal sanctuary worker had 1,000 pictures of humans having sex with livestock

A bestiality porn offender has been jailed after ignoring a court order banning him from keeping animals.

Mark Findlater, 32, was convicted in 2016 for possessing images and videos depicting sex acts between adults and dogs, cows, pigs and horses on his home computer.

Colleagues at an animal sanctuary where Findlater was working, had found a link to a bestiality website on a computer he used.

A search warrant at his home uncovered over 1,000 images and 400 videos of the sex acts.

He was given a community payback order and banned from keeping animals for three years after admitting the offence, but flouted the latter restriction.

Social workers told a court they had ‘reached the end of the road’ in efforts to rehabilitate him and a sheriff warned him he was ‘solely trying’ the court’s patience.

Findlater, of Mains of Coul Cottages near Forfar, Scotland, appeared back in the dock on Thursday where his solicitor said her client recognised his failure to comply with the order had left no option but prison.

‘Unfortunately, criminal justice feel they can no longer work with Mr Findlater and I think that decision has been made with a heavy heart.

‘He would be someone who would be very vulnerable in a custodial setting. Custody is something that frightens him, he is honest about that.’

The solicitor asked the court to consider a restriction of liberty order curfewing Findlater at his mother’s home.

Sheriff Gregor Murray jailed Findlater for seven months and ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years, adding: ‘When I first sentenced you, I said these were horrendous offences.

‘I said then that the choice was between what would be, because of the number of images, a relatively brief custodial sentence, or a lengthy community payback order.

‘I think you understand a restriction of liberty order is nowhere near serious enough to deal with this, and in my mind there is no alternative to custody,’ said the sheriff.