A predator who abused two young boys alongside an ex-Bay City Rollers manager has been caged for sex attacks spanning across six decades.
John Wilson, 80, was sentenced to 12 years and nine months at the High Court in Glasgow today for a catalogue of crimes that took place between 1963 and 2019. During the trial, the court heard how the vile pensioner was a known associate of former Bay City Rollers manager, Tam Paton, who is now dead.
Two of their victims bravely told the jury how they, as teenage boys, were given alcohol and drugs during a booze-fuelled party at Paton's home in Edinburgh. One described how once he was heavily intoxicated, the heinous duo both went on to sexually assault him, when he was aged just 16.
Another victim told how he, a 15-year-old boy, was left lapsing in and out of consciousness after becoming intoxicated from the alcohol supplied by the perverts. The boy was then hauled into the boot of a car and driven back to the children's home where he lived.
There, he was sexually assaulted by Wilson and an unidentified man. The following morning, the victim, now in his 50s, told police how he sat in the shower and cried after being attacked.
Wilson, of Midlothian, was also found guilty of grabbing and harassing two schoolgirls as well as sexually assaulting three further teenage boys. A further two victims were adults when they were attacked by the beast while visiting his house. He raped one vulnerable man while his victim was asleep.
Scotland’s procurator fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, Fraser Gibson, described Wilson's crimes as 'abhorrent'.
Mr Gibson, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “John Wilson’s abuse of vulnerable victims was abhorrent. He preyed on individuals who were vulnerable because they were much younger and because they had been plied with alcohol or drugs.
“His victims have shown great courage and resilience in holding this man accountable for his crimes. Today’s sentence should provide reassurance that the passage of time is no barrier to justice, and we would urge all victims of similar offending to come forward.
“The prosecutors at COPFS will rigorously pursue all reports they receive, no matter how long ago the offending occurred.”
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