An East Renfrewshire pervert, who searched for images of an American actress being sexually abused when she was a child has been spared jail.

Ross McCullagh, 33, who has since moved to Thornliebank, searched for indecent images of Selma Blair, who stars in Anger Management and had roles in Friends and Cruel Intentions.

The offence happened at his former home in Hillside Crescent, Neilston. His home was raided by police on November 23, last year, and an HP tower unit was seized. McCullagh appeared for sentence at Paisley Sheriff Court this week, having previously admitted downloading 11 indecent images of the film star between September 13 and 14, 2014.

McCullagh, 33, was snared as part of Police Scotland’s Operation NOCAP – the National Online Child Abuse Prevention Campaign.

When police computer experts examined the device, they discovered he’d been searching for child abuse images of Blair, 45, who also starred in Legally Blonde and the Hellboy franchise.

Sheriff Colin Pettigrew put McCullagh on a Community Payback Order,and put on supervision for 18 months. He was also banned from deleting his internet history, using peer to peer software or installing software which can delete files.

Sheriff Pettigrew told the pervert: “I’m satisfied your health had a part to play in this and the confusion in your mind to your former friend and the part you played in that.”

McCullagh was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 18 months.