Nursery worker filmed and photographed abuse of two toddlers

A nursery worker has admitted sexually assaulting two toddlers in his care.

Alexander Mortimer filmed and photographed the abuse of the children, who were young relatives of a colleague at the facility.

Mortimer was later found with almost 18,000 child porn images described by police as some of the "most depraved" they have ever seen.

A judge also heard at the High Court in Glasgow how the 29-year-old used social networking site Facebook to offer to babysit children who attended his nursery.

He was arrested in February this year when the abuse by the nursery worker, of Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, came to light.

Mortimer was sacked by South Lanarkshire Council while he was also suspended by the Scottish Social Services Council after the crimes were revealed.

Strathclyde Police Detective Chief Inspector David Marshall said that the force are appealing for further information about Mortimer, who once starred in a Tombola Bingo advert that sponsored ITV show Emmerdale.

He added: "Alexander Mortimer has rightly been brought to justice today for a series of horrendous crimes against children. This follows an extensive investigation during which Mortimer consistently refused to co-operate with police, prolonging the agony for the families involved.

"We received intelligence which identified that Mortimer was in possession of thousands of indecent images of children. We acted swiftly using technology, specially trained officers and forensic experts to make sure all available evidence was obtained. Further investigations revealed he also had images of an unidentified man sexually abusing children.

"Despite his refusal to co-operate and thanks to the determination and tenacity of the investigation team, we proved that it was Mortimer abusing the children. Throughout, we have worked closely with the Crown to bring this case to a swift conclusion. We understand the anxieties of the families who have children at the nurseries and also the wider community but I would like to reassure them that we are satisfied that we have captured and acted on all the available evidence."

Police appeal

DCI Marshall continued: "However, we would ask that anyone with further information about Mortimer gets in touch with police. We are grateful for the co-operation of the families in what was a very harrowing time for them.

"We hope that Mortimer's eventual admission of guilt will assist them in some way during the long and difficult process of dealing with the effects of such despicable crimes. Strathclyde Police will continue to target people involved in this type of offending behaviour and take every possible step to bring them to justice."

First offender Mortimer was jailed after admitting five charges relating to child abuse of the two boys and he will be sentenced at a later date.

The court heard how he became friends with a colleague, who had thought him "lonely and shy". She discussed how her daughter was struggling to cope with her two boys, who were enrolled at the nursery.

Prosecutor Alison Di Rollo said Mortimer then offered to help look after the children. Miss Di Rollo added the boys' mother took advice from her mother who reckoned there would be "no problem" with Mortimer. In April last year, he began taking the children out sometimes on his own.

It was soon after he started taking indecent photos of the youngest of the pair - including at an Asda supermarket, at the home of his cousin and at M&D's theme park in Strathclyde Country Park. Miss Di Rollo said the home Mortimer shared with his parents and sisters in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, was raided in January this year in connection with child abuse image allegations. Computer equipment was seized and a total of 17,967 still indecent images and 582 film clips were discovered.

In relation to one of the images, the prosecutor said: "The police indicate this is among the most depraved acts ever seen by the examining officers."

The abuse took place between January 2009 to January this year. At court on Thursday it emerged that during this time Mortimer had once inquired with South Lanarkshire Council looking for information on how to become an adoptive or foster parent.

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