NEIL COWAN FROM KELTY ADMITS TO HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE IMAGE POSSESSION AND DISTRIBUTION IN EDINBURGH COURT

Neil Cowan, a man previously employed in a care home setting, has confessed to possessing a disturbing collection of child abuse images. The investigation uncovered that Cowan had downloaded and kept a significant number of highly disturbing images and videos, which included graphic content depicting the murder of a baby, as well as scenes of hanging and torture involving young children. Court proceedings detailed that Cowan's mobile phone contained over 2,000 indecent images of children, some of which he had shared with others, further implicating him in the distribution of such material.

It was also revealed that Cowan, who is known to have resided in Kelty and is currently living in Longniddry, had a prior conviction from 2021. At that time, he was convicted of exposing himself outside the Amazon warehouse in Dunfermline. For that offence, he received a community sentence and was placed on the sex offenders' register. Witnesses reported that Cowan was caught pleasuring himself late at night at the warehouse, with some noting that his trousers had fallen down during the incident, which led to his arrest.

During a court hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Cowan pleaded guilty to charges of possessing indecent images of children between June 28 and August 3 of the previous year, as well as to the act of distributing these images. The images involved minors ranging from just one month old to 16 years of age, with one of the victims being only a month old. The court was informed that Cowan had been in contact with another online offender, indicating a possible network of individuals involved in similar criminal activities.

A cybercrime expert testified that the material Cowan possessed was among the worst he had ever encountered, emphasizing the severity of the images. Cowan also admitted to police that he had shared some of these images with another offender, further demonstrating his involvement in the distribution of child abuse material.

Throughout the proceedings, Cowan’s legal representative acknowledged his cooperation and understanding of the gravity of his actions. Sheriff Ian Anderson ordered Cowan to be remanded in custody and mandated that he be registered on the sex offenders' register for an extended period. The court deferred sentencing until the following month to allow for social work reports to be prepared, which will likely influence the final judgment in this serious case.