Family friend molested Edinburgh schoolgirl, 13, as her mother battled cancer

A paedophile who targeted a young girl after her mother had been diagnosed with cancer is facing a prison sentence.

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Simon White was a family friend of the schoolgirl and had been asked to look after the child while her mother underwent treatment for the disease.

White, 51, molested the youngster on several occasions over a two year period and on one occasion he gave her alcohol and performed a sex act over her.

Pervert facing prison: Simon White

The pervert left the child too “frightened” to tell anyone about the abuse until she was an adult when she eventually confided in her husband.

The victim reported the assaults on her to police in 2014 but White was not traced by officers until last year.

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White appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to using lewd and libidinous practices towards the girl between January 2004 and December 2005.

Fiscal depute Anna Chisholm told the court the girl was just 13 when White was introduced to her and he soon began staying at her home “to look after her” while her mother received treatment for her condition.

White, of Gorgie, Edinburgh, started off becoming “over familiar” with the child and would often cuddle her and walk around the house wearing only his underwear.

The pervert would tell the girl she was “beautiful” and that “any boyfriend would be lucky to have her” which the court heard made the child “uncomfortable”.

White’s disturbing behaviour towards the girl began to escalate and on occasions he would touch her breasts while cuddling her.

The terrified girl did not confide in anyone at the time and due to her mother’s illness she had to stay with White at his Edinburgh home for a short time in 2004.

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Ms Chisholm said there was just one bedroom at his home and the pair slept in the same bed at night and he would often “hug her during the night” which left her “distressed”.

The court was told on one occasion White plied the girl with alcohol before “stripping down to his boxer shorts” while standing behind her.

He then “began to rub his penis over her back” and “cupped her breasts” with his hands.

The fiscal said: “The accused continued to grind himself on the complainer’s back and his penis was erect.”

He then performed a solo sex act while telling her she was “beautiful and she should not forget it”.

The sex attack on the child was said to have lasted around 20 minutes and the court was told she was “too frightened to do anything” and believed if she told anyone she would “get into trouble”.

The abuse subsequently came to light in 2014 when the victim had married and she told her husband what had happened to her as a child.

White was eventually tracked down last year and admitted the sex attacks he had carried out on the girl while being interviewed by police.

Sheriff Nigel Ross placed White on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a term still to be determined and deferred full sentence to next month.

White was granted bail pending sentencing.

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