Tattooed pervert facing years behind bars for abusing Edinburgh schoolgirl

A pervert told detectives probing claims he had targeted a schoolgirl that he had to "face the consequences" for a sex attack which happened more than 20 years earlier.

Jai Pennycuick had abused a young girl at a flat in Edinburgh's Broomhouse in the 1990s.

The victim only reported to police what happened in May 2020 after bravely coming forward and speaking to specially trained officers

Pennycuick, now 39, was then quizzed by officers weeks later as part of an investigation into historic sex crimes.

Jai Pennycuik: Abused under-age girl in Broomhouse, Edinburgh, in the 1990s.

Prosecutor Bill McVicar told the High Court in Glasgow: "He broke down crying and subsequently gave as full an account of the incident as he could remember.

"He accepted what he had done was wrong. . . and that he now had to face the consequences of what he had done."

Pennycuick - a construction site labourer - pled guilty to a charge of lewd and libidinous conduct towards the child on an occasion between June 1996 and June 1997.

The girl would have been as young as seven at the time.

Mr McVicar told how Pennycuick, of the capital's Pilton, was convicted of a number of sex crimes in England and Wales in the late 90s including indecent assault of a boy.

Pennycuick, who describes himself as single, has been attempting to find a partner on internet dating sites.

His post states: “Hi my name is jai I’m looking for a long term relationship. I live in Edinburgh I have no kids never been married I like the outdoors and traveling I work on building sitesHi my name is jai I’m looking for a long term relationship. I live in Edinburgh I have no kids never been married I like the outdoors and traveling I work on building sites.”

Lord Matthews continued bail in this latest case and deferred sentencing until next month in Edinburgh.

Pennycuick will automatically be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register (SOR) which means he will have to notify police of any change of address once he is released from prison.

As a Registered Sex Offender he will be subject to close monitoring by Police Scotland and criminal justice social workers and could face prosecution for any breach of the SOR imposed on him.