Edinburgh crime: Pensioner who exposed himself to two schoolboys in Musselburgh toilet has been jailed

Robert Cockburn pleaded guilty to 13 sexual offences at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court

An East Lothian pensioner has been jailed and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for exposing himself to adults and children over a 14-month period.

Robert Cockburn, 76, from Port Seton in East Lothian pleaded guilty to 13 sexual offences at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, November 28 and was sentenced to 212 days in prison. Cockburn exposed himself to two children aged 12 and 14 and asked them to perform a sex act on him at a public toilet in Musselburgh last year. The 76-year-old also asked adult men for sexual favours while they used several public conveniences and flashed his genitals to women at a supermarket.

Despite being arrested on several occasions, Cockburn continued to flout court bail conditions and attend at local public toilets to commit further indecency offences. The disabled pensioner appeared in a wheelchair by video link at Edinburgh Sheriff Court after previously pleading guilty to sexual offences charges and 11 breaches of bail.

Robert Cockburn outside the Edinburgh Sheriff Court

Sheriff Roderick Flinn had deferred sentence on Cockburn several times in recent months for mental health assessments to be carried out and social work reports to be prepared. The sheriff said he admonishing the pensioner on all the breach of bail charges but jailed him for a total of 212 days to mark the sexual offences. Cockburn will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Fiscal depute India McLean said the two schoolboys went into the convenience at Shorthope Street in Musselburgh at around 5pm on August 27 last year. Ms McLean said: “Mr Cockburn was within and had his trousers at his knees and his penis was exposed and he asked the boys for oral sex.”

Police were alerted soon after the incident but when the OAP was arrested he denied any wrongdoing. The court also heard the pensioner had asked one man to perform oral sex on him and he had stared at two men while they used the public toilet on August 12 and 21 last year.

Cockburn was again arrested after police received several calls from members of the public reporting he was staring at men while they urinated at the same convenience in October last year. Further offences included Cockburn exposing himself to two women at a supermarket in Port Seton, East Lothian, and to flashing three women at a nearby street, all on December 23 last year.

He also exposed himself to police officers at a car park in Longniddry, East Lothian, on March 21 this year and made sexually explicit comments to man at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on October 9 this year.