Abuse case man had porn 'compulsion'

A MAN told a court yesterday that his initial shock at findingchild pornography on the internet turned into a compulsion to viewthe indecent images.

John Milligan, 40, said he amassed more than 78,000 images, butinsisted he never abused children. He spoke to other paedophiles inchat rooms about committing acts, such as snatching a boy atknifepoint and raping him, but it was purely boastful fantasy, heclaimed.

Milligan, of Govan, Glasgow, denies conspiring to take part insex offences against children, in particular a boy known to a co-accused, James Rennie, 38, of Edinburgh.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Milligan had known from ayoung age that he was gay. He tried to take his own life with anoverdose before quitting Glasgow University, where he studied socialsciences.

He found work as a civil servant, and moved away from his familyinto his own flat. His spare time was spent on his computer - up toeight hours a day.

Milligan said he began to download gay pornography, and some ofit featured teens.

"I was shocked ... and I deleted it. There was something drew meback, a compulsion or something. I wanted to see the images again... I was aroused by them."

He told the court he met Rennie to view child pornography. He ischarged with listening on the phone to Rennie abusing a boy, but hedenies this.

Rennie is accused of indecency and conspiring to commit sexoffences. The case continues.