A Johnstone care home worker has been struck off from the profession’s register after being convicted of historic sexual abuse on children.
Twisted Andrew Ward was found guilty by a jury, following a trial at Greenock Sheriff Court, of preying on young boys over a period of eight years, while working as a volunteer.
Following his conviction last year, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) removed Ward from the register, stating his “actions exposed the children concerned to serious risk of physical, emotional and psychological harm”.
The watchdog’s report stated Ward was older than each of the children concerned and, in more than one instance, was a legal adult.
There was, therefore, a “presumption of trust” and his conduct “represents a gross abuse of this”.
The report slammed Ward’s vile abuse as “extreme” in nature, stating that “conduct of this nature raises serious and fundamental questions about his values and there is a risk that this behaviour may be repeated in the future”.
Ward indecently assaulted and used lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards his victims when they were aged between nine and 15, while working as an adult volunteer at Barnard’s Court church mission in the east end of Greenock.
He repeatedly molested and performed disgusting acts on the youngsters between 1986 and 1994 with the SSSC stating that Ward’s behaviour “amounts to a pattern of conduct over a significant period of time”.
His traumatised and emotional victims gave harrowing evidence during a four-day trial of how Ward targeted them in places including a common close and onboard a church minibus.
Ward touched the private parts of all of his victims and performed sex acts on them.
On various occasions between February 1987 and February 1989, Ward targeted one youngster and “did repeatedly seize him by the body and restrain him” before going on to sexually assault him.
Between December 29, 1992 and December 28, 1994, while naked, Ward entered the bed of one boy and kissed him on his neck and ear before telling him to be quiet and then sexually assaulting him.
Being caged for 36 months last year, Sheriff Michael Higgins branded Ward’s crimes as ‘heinous’.
He was sentenced to consecutive sentences of 16, 14 and six months on the three indictment charges a jury had taken just 35 minutes to convict him of.
Ward has also been placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
Removing Ward from the profession, the SSSC stated it considers a removal order as the “most appropriate” sanction as “it is both necessary and justified in the public interest and to maintain the continuing trust and confidence in the social service profession and the SSSC as the regulator of the profession”.
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