Paedophile jailed for 'carefully planned' sex abuse

Image copyright Alan Richardson

A Fife businessman has been jailed for five years for a catalogue of child sex abuse.

David Glass "infiltrated" a family at a vulnerable time and used his position to groom the children and subject them to horrific abuse.

The 59-year-old from Anstruther - convicted of almost identical offences in 2014 - blamed his victims, saying he was targeted by the boys for money.

Glass's victims said they felt vindicated by the sentence.

They said many people in the small Fife community where he targeted his victims had believed the "arrogant" businessman.

Glass abused three boys aged between three and 11.

A sheriff told him he was a "danger to children" and added: "Your offending had catastrophic consequences for your victims."

Speaking outside court, one of Glass's victims - who cannot be named - said: "I'm still shaking, even now, after having to give evidence.

"I'm glad he's been given a long sentence. He has caused us all kinds of problems."

'So brave'

A family member added: "He tried to make out in court that he was a businessman who was being targeted by the boys for money.

"This happened in a small community and he had people believing him - now they will know the truth.

"The boys were so brave to stand up and tell the jury what happened to them.

"The jury believed them - they didn't believe Glass."

A trial at Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Glass befriended the parents of his victims when they were going through "personal difficulties".

He won their trust and confidence - and used that to convince them to allow him to spend time alone with their children.

Then, over the course of almost two years in the late 1980s, he subjected two of his victims to repeated sex abuse at his caravan in the East Neuk of Fife.

The abuse only stopped when one of the boys died in the spring of 1989.

Then in the mid-90s Glass targeted another boy, aged between nine and 11 at the time, forcing the boy to bathe with him and carrying out sex acts on him and abusing him while he slept.

'No responsibility'

In September 2014, Glass was convicted at Dunfermline Sheriff Court of a string of virtually identical offences committed in the same area over an eight-year period from 2004 to 2012.

He was released from that sentence in early 2016.

Det Insp June Peebles, of Fife's Public Protection Unit, said: "Following his conviction in 2014, further people came forward to report offences against Glass.

"Glass is a deviant who preyed on young children and he has been brought to justice thanks to the bravery and strength of the victims.

"We take all reports of sexual abuse very seriously, regardless of how much time has passed, and have detectives who are committed to thoroughly investigating these despicable offences."

Sheriff Tom Hughes jailed Glass for five years - he was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The sheriff said: "You groomed them, purchased them gifts and won their confidence and carefully manipulated them into a situation where you could carry out this criminal conduct.

"Conduct no child should ever have to endure.

"You take no responsibility whatsoever and you blame others for the position you find yourself in."