James Provan

James Provan, a 23-year-old resident of Greenock, Scotland, was sentenced at Greenock Sheriff Court for possessing and distributing a large collection of indecent images and videos depicting child sexual exploitation.

In October 2024, police officers attended Provan's flat in East Shaw Street, Greenock, where they seized two mobile phones. Upon analysis, the devices were found to contain a total of more than 1,800 indecent images and videos. One phone held 499 still images and 1,291 video clips, amounting to approximately 40 hours of footage, with 170 photos and 804 videos classified as category A—the most severe category. The second device contained an additional 53 indecent photographs and one category A video.

Provan admitted to the police upon their arrival that they would find incriminating material on the devices. He had been in possession of the material from September 2022 to October 2024. Additionally, between April 2024 and July 2024, he pleaded guilty to distributing such images via apps including Telegram and TeleGuard.

At a hearing in November 2024, Provan formally admitted his guilt. Sentencing was deferred for the preparation of a social work report. His defence solicitor, Gerry Keenan, highlighted Provan's isolation and lack of social life at the time, noting that much of his time was spent in front of a computer screen. Keenan emphasised that Provan accepted responsibility, felt shame for his actions, and had sought support from a third-party service to address his issues, describing him as a young man taking steps to deal with the situation.

Sheriff James Varney acknowledged Provan's remorse and insight into his behaviour but determined that only a custodial sentence was appropriate given the gravity of the offences and the public interest in deterrence. Provan was jailed for 27 months, reduced from 30 months due to his early guilty plea. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.

The case was reported by the Greenock Telegraph, with details emerging from court proceedings at Greenock Sheriff Court.