Sex attacker, 82, jailed for abu sing young girls

Arbroath OAP already on sex offenders register when he preyed on three children

An Angus pensioner has been jailed for eight years for the horrific abuse of three young girls.

Alexander Moore, 82, of Arbroath, preyed on his victims in a campaign of abuse spanning more than 20 years.

He targeted the children, then aged between eight and 15, while already on the sex offenders register after being locked up in 1999 for crimes against young girls.

Moore was yesterday sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow having previously been convicted at a trial in Edinburgh of six charges including rape and lewd and libidinous behaviour.

A jury convicted Moore of a string of sexual offences against the three little girls between 1982 and 2006.

He raped a child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on various occasions at a house in Arbroath between June 2000 and July 2005.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Moore also sexually assaulted another two schoolgirls, who again cannot be identified, at a location in the town.

He repeatedly raped one of the girls in a sickening attack.

The court heard Moore began

“

They are still living with the harm that you have done to them.

LORD ERICHT

abusing his victims in June 1982 and was finally brought to justice after they spoke to police about what had happened.

He had denied all the charges at his trial in Edinburgh, but was convicted on a total of six, with jurors taking just two hours to return their verdict.

Following conviction, prosecutor Peter Ferguson QC told the court Moore had previously served three months for “sexual” offences and spent time on the sex offenders register.

Defence advocate Chris Fyffe had sought bail for his client, which was refused.

At the High Court in Glasgow yesterday Lord Ericht told Moore a pre-sentencing report had branded him a “serious risk” to female children.

The judge added: “You have breached the trust of three children.

“It is clear from victim impact statements they are still living with the consequences of the harm that you have done to them.”

Moore was jailed for eight years and again put on the sex offenders register.

Children’s charity NSPCC Scotland welcomed the sentence.

A spokesman said: “Abuse ruins childhoods and Moore’s appalling actions have blighted his victims’ lives into adulthood.

“Moore clearly poses a risk to children and it is entirely right that he has faced the consequences of his horrific crimes and will once again spend years behind bars.

“This case shows once again that it is never too late for survivors of abuse to come forward and seek justice for what they endured as well as to receive the help and support they need.”