KEITH MOWAT CONON BRIDGE SHOCK: ROSS-SHIRE MAN SENTENCED FOR SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING TEENAGE GIRLS

A man from Ross-shire, Keith Mowat, residing on Sellar Place in Conon Bridge, has been handed a significant prison sentence after a series of disturbing criminal activities involving underage girls. Mowat was convicted of multiple charges related to his inappropriate and illegal conduct, which included sending explicit images and paying minors for sexualized content.

In a court appearance at Inverness Sheriff Court, Mowat admitted to five separate charges. These charges detailed his actions of sending photographs of his genitalia to two teenage girls, aged 13 and 17, and paying them substantial sums—up to £750 per month—for photographs of their feet, knees, and hair. The court heard that Mowat’s behavior was driven by a foot fetish, which he sought to satisfy through these illicit exchanges.

The court was informed that Mowat had previously been ordered to participate in a sex offenders' rehabilitation program. However, his solicitor advocate, Shahid Latif, expressed concerns to Sheriff Sara Matheson, stating, “He did not learn his lessons from his previous participation.” Latif described Mowat as a socially isolated individual who had been accessing adult websites, which eventually led him to contact minors online. The solicitor emphasized that Mowat was unable to provide a rational explanation for his actions, highlighting the troubling nature of his behavior.

Sheriff Matheson, considering Mowat’s prior criminal record and the seriousness of the offences, determined that a lengthy custodial sentence was necessary. Mowat was sentenced to four years in prison, with the latter two years to be served under supervision in the community. Additionally, he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely, reflecting the gravity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses.

The prosecution, led by Fiscal depute Alison Young, provided further details about the case. She explained that neither of the girls had requested or wanted the indecent images of Mowat, and both had refused his demands to send him naked photographs of themselves. Despite this, Mowat offered £100 per photo, which led to the youngest victim eventually relenting and sending images of her bottom and a photograph of her breasts. The court was also told that Mowat threatened to disclose some of these images to others, causing significant distress to the victims. The girl who received the images described her reaction as feeling her heart “literally drop,” and she experienced embarrassment and stress upon learning that her photos had been shared.

The police became aware of Mowat’s activities after colleagues in Norfolk uncovered illicit Snapchat communications from his home in Conon Bridge, which took place between April and July of the previous year. A search warrant was executed at his residence, where officers found Mowat lying on his bed, under the covers, holding his mobile device. The phone was seized as evidence, confirming his involvement in the disturbing online exchanges and illegal activities.