Babysitter (62) caged for sexually abusing girl (12)

Earlier this year a jury at the High Court in Livingston returned a majority verdict finding Iain Murray guilty of abusing the 12-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and last week at Aberdeen High Court he was sent to prison for two years.

The jury in Livingston found allegations Murray raped his victim and sexually assaulted her eight year-old sister not proven and he was also cleared of three charges of sexually assaulting and attempting to rape the girls’ mother, now aged 30, more than 15 years ago.

Evidence stated the matter was reported to police in 2003 but Murray was not prosecuted then because of lack of evidence.

The Crown alleged a series of six offences – all of which Murray denied – were committed either at his then home in Bannockburn or at an address near Falkirk.

Police launched an investigation after the 12-year-old’s mum found an entry in her daughter’s diary saying that Murray was “a paedo”.

She confronted the accused, who denied doing anything to the girls who she had entrusted to his care.

Murray was placed on the sex offenders’ register after the trial.