Sex attacker gets 4 years for historic abuse cases

Stuart Whyte showed no emotion in court. Picture: Vic Rodrick

Stuart Whyte was convicted of using lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards the youngsters up to 30 years ago when he was a teenager himself.

He forced his victims to relive their nightmare treatment by giving evidence at his trial and claimed they had  conspired to make up a complete “fantasy”.

Passing sentence on him at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Susan Craig praised the “bravery” of the women for having the courage to attend court to give evidence in the face of his continuing hostility.

She told Whyte: “It’s clear from both the victim impact statement and the way she gave evidence that the first complainer’s life has been blighted by your abuse of her.

“That she successfully managed to become an adult with children of her own is a testament to her.”

She said she realised that Whyte, 44, was young himself  at the time of the offences, and was a first offender who had built a successful adult relationship.

But she added: “You must understand that the crimes of which you were convicted are so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

She backdated the jail sentence to January 12 when Whyte was remanded in  custody and told him he would be subject to a year’s social work supervision on his eventual release.

In addition, she said his name would remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

A jury earlier returned a unanimous verdict finding Whyte guilty of abusing his first victim on four separate occasions at a house in Livingston when she was aged between three and four.

The jury also returned majority verdicts finding him guilty of inappropriately touching a 15-year-old girl at another house in Livingston and exposing himself to a girl aged between ten and 12 at the first address.

The three-year-old, now 32 and married with children, gave evidence that she still suffered “flashbacks” about Whyte sexually abusing her and forcing her to perform sex acts on him.

The second victim told the jury through tears how she had tried to take her own life six times because she was unable to cope with being sexually abused by Whyte as a teenager.

Whyte, of Osprey Brae, Livingston, showed no emotion as sentence was passed.

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