Schoolgirl left feeling suicidal after sex attack by 62-year-old man in Midlothian, court told
Offender remanded in custody for reports
A sex predator has left a vulnerable schoolgirl feeling suicidal after he attacked her in broad daylight as she waited on a bus.
Colin Small groped the breasts and genitals of the 14-year-old victim as she stood at a bus stop after being sent home from school feeling unwell in February last year.
Small told the terrified child she was “enjoying it” and to just “let it happen” before he fled the area near the high school in Mayfield, Midlothian.
The 62-year-old - who is known locally as Casper - was later snared after the brave schoolgirl identified her attacker through his distinctive fluorescent clothing.
Small also sexually assaulted a 12-year-old child on two occasions when he touched her thigh, lifted her skirt up exposing her underwear and made sexual comments towards her.
Small, from Mayfield, denied both sex attacks but was found guilty by a jury on Tuesday following a three day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
The 14-year-old told the trial she was standing at a bus stop after being sent home from school due to illness at around 1.15pm on February 4 last year.
She said she saw Small approach the bus stop while carrying two sticks and he was wearing a distinctive jacket with fluorescent hi-vis sleeves.
The girl, who gave her evidence by video link, said: “The guy started by touching my breasts and he started going down further and further. He didn’t say anything to me and no-one else was there.
“I smacked his hand away and I told him to f*** off but he just went lower.”
The victim said the sex attack lasted around two minutes and she had attempted to push him off her around 10 times before he eventually stopped.
She added: “He just turned round and said ‘I was enjoying it and I should let it happen’.”
The court heard the child then contacted her mother by phone and the police were notified.
When asked by fiscal depute Corey Laouadi how she felt after the attack, the girl replied: “I wanted to kill myself. I still want to kill myself.”
The child’s mother told the jury her daughter was “hysterical” during the phone call and kept repeating “she wanted him to stop”.
The mum said the girl arrived home “shaking and crying” and has been left “absolutely traumatised” by the sex assault.
The girl’s sister said her younger sibling now suffers from nightmares and “just isn’t the same anymore”.
The second victim gave her evidence by video interview and told the court Small had touched inappropriately on two occasions on dates between October 2023 and September 2024.
She said the first incident took place when he “called me beautiful” and pulled up her skirt exposing her tights and underwear in Dalkeith, Midlothian.
The child said the second assault took place at a local park when Small approached her and put his hand under her skirt.
Following the evidence the jury took just 40 minutes to return unanimous guilty verdicts on both sex attacks.
Sheriff Colm Dempsey said: “You are a 62-year-old man who has been convicted by the jury’s unanimous verdict.
“For the avoidance of doubt that means all 14 of them, in respect of serious sexual offending.
“Charge one involves an offence against a girl of 12 and charge three a girl aged 14 and unknown to you. The consequences for those complainers has been significant.”
Small was placed on the sex offenders register and remanded in custody pending social work reports being prepared.