Neil Cowan had some of the 'worst ever' child abuse images

Neil Cowan was found to have downloaded horror images and videos described by a cyber crime expert as “some of the worst he had ever seen”.

The 35-year-old, previously of Kelty and now living in Longniddry, East Lothian, possessed vile Category A videos showing, a court heard, the “murdered body of a baby” and the “hanging and torture” of young children.

He was also said to have been in contact with a fellow online abuser and the pair had exchanged messages about their depraved fantasies.

Last August, Cowan was handed a community sentence and placed on the sex offenders' register after he was caught masturbating on two occasions outside the Amazon warehouse in Dunfermline in 2021.

READ MORE: MAN JAILED FOR SEX OFFENCES OUTSIDE AMAZON PLANT

Dunfermline Sheriff Court was told then that a delivry driver had spotted the pervert pleasuring himself at about 2.20am and again by a worker leaving the warehouse at 3.30am four days later.

The former care worker was struck off after committing sex offences outside the Amazon warehouse in Dunfermline. (Image: Newsquest)

Cowan, of Longniddry's Douglas Crescent, told police officers at the time his trousers were "loose fitting" and had fallen down, leading him to expose himself.

He was then placed on the sex offenders' register and placed under supervision for three years with the condition he takes part in a rehabilitation scheme for sex offenders.

He returned to the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children between June 28 and August 3 last year.

Cowan also admitted to distributing the sick material to others on one occasion between July 8 and August 3 last year.

He had a not guilty plea, to possessing extreme pornographic images depicting adults engaging in sexual activity with animals, accepted by the Crown.

Prosecutor Chelsea Martin told the court that police had raided Cowan’s home and seized a mobile phone and an electronic tablet on the morning of August 3 last year.

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Ms Martin said he was arrested and “made admissions” about his guilt to officers while being interviewed.

The fiscal depute said the phone was found to hold more than 2,000 indecent images of children and the tablet showed Cowan had been sending some of the images to a fellow pervert.

The court heard the male and female children involved in the abuse ranged from one month old to 16-years-old.

Ms Martin added the children involved were “very distressed” and included the “horrific abuse of a baby only a month old”.

A cyber crime examiner was said to have described the sadistic material as “some of the worst he had ever seen”.

Solicitor Cameron Tait, defending, said his client realised he was facing “a very serious matter” and had recently been working full time in a sales job.

Mr Tait said Cowan had “fully co-operated with police during the search of his home” and he “understands the serious position he is in”.

Sheriff Ian Anderson remanded Cowan in custody and placed him on the sex offenders' register for a term still to be decided.

Sentence was deferred to next month for the preparation of social work reports.