Fife care worker struck off after conviction for public sex act

A Fife care worker has been struck off after being found guilty in court of committing sex offences.
Cowan had been convicted at Dunfermline Sheriff CourtCowan had been convicted at Dunfermline Sheriff Court
Cowan had been convicted at Dunfermline Sheriff Court

Neil Cowan, who worked in a care home in Cowdenbeath, was removed from the care register by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) after he was convicted of the offences on a Fife street in August 2021.Cowan was spotted by members of the public on two occasions in June, 2021 – each time he had been seen to lower his trousers and commit a solo sex act on Sandpiper Drive in Dunfermline, near the Amazon depot.

Cowan was placed on the sex offenders' register for three years after the case at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

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An SSSC panel found that there was serious reason to stop Cowan from working in the care sector.The panel stated: “We decided there is evidence that, while employed as a Care Assistant by Kingdom Homes, and out with the course of your employment, you did on 16 June 2021 intentionally engage in a sexual activity in the presence of an unknown member of the public in that you did pull your trousers down, expose your penis and did masturbate, contrary to Section 5 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 for which you were convicted at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on 5

August 2021.”

The panel also said that Cowan had been convicted of committing a similar offence just four days later on June 20.

In striking Cowan off, the panel stated: “The convictions are of an extremely serious nature.

"They involve criminal behaviour which demonstrates a marked and wilful disregard for the safety and wellbeing of others.

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"The behaviour is indicative of an uncontrolled sexual deviancy which compels you to seek sexual gratification by causing distress, alarm or humiliation to others by exposing your genitals in a sexual manner.

“The convictions indicate underlying values issues fundamentally incompatible with registration as a social service worker.

"Given the nature of the convictions, we consider that there is a high and foreseeable risk of you repeating the behaviour, in a social care setting and generally, should you continue to be allowed to work in social services.”