A Fife man claimed he had more than 200 vile child sexual abuse images because he was suffering stress after the death of his father through Covid-19.
Duncan Cowan, 47, accessed material featuring girls thought to be as young as three.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard it is Cowan’s second offence of this nature, after a previous conviction almost 20 years ago.
His defence lawyer said Cowan’s offending appears to have happened during times of “significant stress”.
Cowan, of Cowdenbeath, pled guilty to taking or permitting to be taken or making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children, between November 23 2021 and February 21 last year.
Police tip-off
Procurator fiscal depute Beverley Adam told the court Cowan was employed as a credit risk manager at the time of the offence.
The prosecutor said police received intelligence in March last year about indecent images being accessed from an IP address at his home.
Cowan denied observing any indecent images at this time but a forensic examination of a mobile phone linked to him revealed a total of 239 still images and a single minute-long video.
The fiscal said: “The 239 still images featured girls estimated between the ages of three and 12.”
Ms Adam said the material involved penetrative sexual activity with adults and other children, non penetrative activity with adults, and sexual posing.
She said the video showed sexual activity involving a girl aged between 10 and 13.
One of the images was of the most graphic category A kind, while 207 images and the video were classed as category B and 31 images were category C.
Stress
Defence lawyer Alexander Flett said Cowan accepted a referral to the Stop It Now organisation, which has assisted him in appreciating this type of offending is something that “appears to have occurred at times of significant stress”.
Mr Flett said Cowan’s father died in the course of the Covid pandemic and this had a big impact on Cowan.
The solicitor said: “He was under significant mental stress at that time”.
Mr Flett said Cowan recognises this led to him accessing both legal pornography and illegal material such as that found on the phone.
The lawyer said: “From 2003 he genuinely had not accessed material of this sort or had any thoughts about accessing material of this sort.
“He attributes what had taken place as a reaction to the stress he had been under.
“That’s led him to recognise what’s been taking place and hopefully thereafter address that.”
The solicitor said his client is in a job and lives with his wife, who is aware of his previous conviction which pre-dates their relationship.
Sheriff Charles Macnair adjourned sentencing on Cowan until September 13 for the production of background reports and his bail was continued.
Cowan was placed on the Sex Offenders Register meantime.
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