A Fife paedophile found with dozens of child abuse images – including girls as young as four being raped – has been placed on curfew.
Michael Bowie previously admitted downloading indecent images of children over a 19 month period, as well as distributing or showing the images over 11 months.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard that Bowie was arrested at work in the Leven branch of Argos after police received information about a Snapchat account containing the vile material linked to him.
Two mobile phones were seized and Bowie was found to have 46 images and nine videos classed as category A – the most graphic kind – depicting girls between the ages of four and 11.
Officers also found 46 images and four videos at category B and 33 category C images.
Some were duplicates.
Many depicted adults engaged in sexual acts with, or alongside, the children.
Bowie’s Kik messenger account was discovered, with 194 active chats which had been used to distribute some of the sick images.
The 37-year-old first offender, formerly of Morar Street, Methil, but now living in Glenrothes, appeared in the dock for sentencing.
Grandmother’s murder
Defence lawyer Katie Stewart told the court Bowie was previously employed for a number of years in retail but has since lost his employment due to the nature of the charges.
The solicitor said her client described being embarrassed and ashamed of his behaviour and acknowledges he needs help.
Referring to the social work report, she said: “As a young person you will see Mr Bowie had a positive upbringing.
“However, you will then see his grandmother was sadly murdered back in 2007.
“Following this, Mr Bowie advises much of his 20s he cannot remember due to going into such a deep depression”.
The lawyer said with the support of social work he hopes to engage with medical professionals for help.
Ms Stewart said the report deems him suitable for a number of community-based disposals, including supervision and the Moving Forward: Making Changes programme, to address his behaviour.
Five years on Register
Sheriff Charles Lugton told Bowie: “These are serious offences and I am weighing it up against (your) no record and it’s clear from the (social work) report there is work that can be usefully done by you in the community”.
The sheriff sentenced Bowie to a two-month curfew and told him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, as part of a community payback order.
He placed him on offender supervision for 36 months with a requirement to engage in the Moving Forward: Making Changes programme.
Bowie was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.
The sheriff said he imposed the sentence as a direct alternative to custody.
At an earlier hearing, Bowie admitted downloading indecent images of children at an address in Methil between September 24 2020 and April 28 last year.
He further admitted distributing or showing the images from the same address between May 30 2021 and April 28 last year.
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