Former Falkirk chairman admits possessing obscene videos

The former chairman of Falkirk football club has been placed on the sex offenders register after being caught possessing a video showing sexual activity with a dog.

Gary Deans, 62, who resigned from the club in December 2021 citing "personal and family reasons", also admitted downloading child abuse material.

Stirling Sheriff Court was told that the offences were committed between February and August 2022.

Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane deferred sentence for reports until 22 April.

The court heard that Deans' then home in Falkirk was raided by police in February 2023.

Officers found multiple electronic devices and Deans co-operated by providing the passwords.

Forensic examination of a hard drive connected to a laptop revealed 15 images and 15 videos of extreme pornography with creation dates between February and May 2022.

Officers also found 18 still images and six videos featuring child sexual exploitation, some of them of the most serious kind and featuring both boys and girls aged between four and 10.

Prosecutor Ronnie Hay told the court that the extreme pornography depicted sexual activity between a male and a dog.

He said "Detective Constable Roberts confirmed that the dog was similar to Mr Deans' dog at the time the search warrant was executed."

Deans told Det Con Kieron Roberts: "I was in a chat room and someone sent me images. I deleted them and I never sent them on."

Hay said Deans later told police he had viewed the child sexual abuse material "after engaging in online sexual communication with an unknown female".

Deans was granted bail and made no comment as he left court.