BRIDGE OF WEIR PERVERT SENTENCED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE
A pervert tried to get two decoy 12-year-old girls to send him explicit images as well as having vile pornography.Johnnie McGowan aka McKechnie pleaded guilty to a number of extreme charges that happened over months from his then Bearsden home.
Now a resident of Hillview Road, Bridge of Weir, he admitted three crimes relating to two decoys from child protection groups.
Between June 28 and August 26, 2024, he messaged a girl who immediately said she was aged 12.
In fact it was an adult.
The conversation eventually moved to WhatsApp and over six weeks, the 37-year-old continued to message her and asked to see explicit photos of herself.
She repeatedly said "this was adult stuff and she was 12," heard Dumbarton Sheriff Court.
Between July 27 and August 10, another decoy told McKechnie she was 12.
They eventually moved to Snapchat where he sent pictures of his erect penis.
He repeatedly asked for explicit pictures and sent a number of explicit written communications, also on WhatsApp.
He further sent an image of him masturbating and of a female doing so, causing a child to view sexual images.
After this was reported to police, officers searched his mobile phone.
A forensic examination found 20 still images and two videos.
Seven images were at the most serious category A, and both videos were.
Those depicted ranged from the age of one to 14 years old.
He later admitted possession of the images and taking or permitting to be taken indecent images of children.
There were a further 125 still images of extreme photos between June 17 and September 11 showing adult women in sexual activity with dogs and horses.
After McGowan or McKechnie pleaded guilty on October 21, Sheriff James Spy put him on the sex offenders register.
Sentencing was set for later in November once reports are prepared.
He remains on bail.
—————————————————————————————————— Sentencing update 25-11-25 A pervert who believed he was sending explicit messages to 12-year-old girls has been warned he faces jail if he step out of line.
Johnnie McGowan aka McKechnie also had extreme pornography when police confronted him about contacting decoys posing as children.
The 37-year-old previously admitted sending messages to a girl who immediately told him she was 12 in summer 2024.
He asked for explicit photos of herself despite her saying "this was adult stuff".
A second adult pretending to be 12 had messages which included McGowan sending pictures of his erect penis.
He again asked for photos and sent explicit messages.
McGowan or McKecknie, of Hillview Road, Bridge of Weir, pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to communicate indecently with a child, and one to attempting to cause a child to view a sexual image.
And he admitted possession of indecent images, and to permitting indecent images to be taken, and to possession of extreme pornography involving animals.
The offences took place between June and September 2024 at a property in Bearsden.
He returned to Dumbarton Sheriff Court on November 18 for sentencing.
Defence solicitor Judith Reid said her client offered to plead guilty in January but they didn't hear back from the Crown for months.
Her client lost both his employment and housing as a result of the case.
She said: "This has been hanging over him for a year.
He quickly instructed resolution and that didn't go to plan and the case is now close to a year after.
There have been issues that maybe had taught Mr McGowan a significant lesson.
He has used the year to make changes for the good.
He dealt with problems with drugs and alcohol and gambling, and seems to have got those issues under control." Sheriff John McElroy KC said: "The custody threshold has been reached.
However, there are significant factors contained within the report.
These are disgraceful offences.
You should be absolutely ashamed of yourself and your conduct.
In all the circumstances, I'm persuaded that I can deal with you by way of a community based disposal.
That will require significant work from you.
I want to be absolutely crystal clear: if there is even a hint that you're not doing what you're being told to do, you will go to custody.
Make no mistake, I'm a man of my word." McGowan was put on a three-year community payback order that requires him to take part in the Moving Forward Making Changes programme.
He must do 200 hours of unpaid work in the first six months.
And there will be strict rules restricting his use of technology and banning communications or approaching any child he knows without prior approval.
He will be on the sex offenders register for three years.
The court will review his progress in March.
The sentence is a direct alternative to custody.
