A sick pervert amassed more than 373,000 images of child abuse over two decades before being trapped by cops.

Leslie Rutherford has spent 21 years researching depraved photos of sexually abused young people from her home near Edinburgh.

Cybercrime analysts have successfully recovered and cataloged hundreds of thousands of images viewed by the 66-year-old.

Rutherford appeared in city sheriff’s court on Friday and admitted to detaining child abuse footage between March 11, 1999 and September 7 last year.

Tax MP Anna Chisholm said police broke into Rutherford’s home in Newbridge and various devices were seized.

Ms Chisholm said 464 of the images found were in Category A – the worst level – while 511 were in Category C and 372,148 were in Category C.

The court heard that Rutherford also had 180 Category A videos, 53 Category B videos and 511 Category C videos.

Ms Chisholm said the Crown is bringing a motion to seize the devices.

Sheriff Nigel Ross has postponed Rutherford’s sentence until next month for reports and put him on the sex offender registry.

The sheriff granted the confiscation of the devices.