Former Queen's guard soldier carried out decade-long reign of sex attacks on children in Edinburgh

An Army veteran who was part of the Queen's guard at Balmoral was today jailed for nine years for carrying out a sustained campaign of sexual abuse against children.

Former soldier John Paul Hoy

Former soldier John Paul Hoy subjected two girls to repeated molestation and rape and indecently assaulted a third victim during a decade long crime spree in his home city of Edinburgh between 1986 and 1996.

A judge told Hoy: "These offences constitute a very serious and persistent course of sexual abuse of children."

Lady Scott said he had "dominated and terrified" victims and told them to keep quiet during his offending against the children.

The judge said at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You blighted their lives and caused significant and obvious damage, especially to the second victim who spoke to her childhood being taken from her."

"The damage to her was all to evident in her evidence, as indeed was her bravery," said Lady Scott.

She told Hoy, 46, who was assessed as posing a high risk of sexual harm: "The scale of the abuse to the first and second victims is extraordinarily serious."

The judge said that in sentencing she took into account that Hoy was also a child when a large part of the offending occured.

She also noted that Hoy had lengthy Army service which has left him struggling with the effects of post traumatic stress disorder.

Hoy was aged just 12 when he began committing sex crimes in 1986 against a nine year girl with the abuse escalating into repeated rapes.

His second victim was aged seven when he began preying on her in 1988 and she too became the target for repeated rape ordeals.

A third girl was indecently assaulted by him at a house in Edinburgh on two occasions when she was aged between nine and 13. She was thrown on a bed and Hoy simulated intercourse with her during the abuse.

Hoy, formerly of Saughton Mains Street, Edinburgh, had denied the 11 charges of rape, indecent conduct and indecent assault he was earlier found guilty of committing.

He was acquitted of a further rape charge against a girl aged 14 or 15 allegedly committed at another address in Edinburgh between 2004 and 2006.

At his trial he lodged a special defence of alibi which stated that for two periods in 2004 he was stationed with the Army at Balmoral.

He told the court: "We were part of the Queen's Royal guard at Balmoral so it was pomp and circumstance, but also with guard duties."

His first victim told jurors at his trial that she was subjected to repeated abuse. She said: "I was a little girl. I was scared. I was living in terror some days."

She said that on occasions her abuser told her: "Shhh. It will be quick."

His second victim told the court: "I didn't have a childhood. My childhood was taken away from." She said that on one occasion she was subjected to agonising abuse that left her bleeding. She said: "It felt like red hot pain."

Defence counsel Iain McSporran QC said Hoy continued to maintain his complete denial of guilt.

Hoy was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely.

Following sentencing, Detective Sergeant Alan Sharp, of Edinburgh's Public Protection Unit, said: “Firstly, my thoughts continue to be with victims and the courage they displayed during the investigation. Hoy would have gone un-punished had it not been for them, but now he will spend time in jail.

“I would urge anyone who wishes to report sexual crime, regardless of when it happened to contact us so we can conduct a thorough investigation.”

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