Religious cult member jailed for raping two young girls

A religious cult member who raped two young girls has been jailed for 11 and a half years.

Derek Lincoln - who was part of the Children of God group - preyed on the youngsters, who were just nine and ten years-old when he first struck.

The 74 year-old admitted carrying out the attacks at various locations in Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire between 1989 and 1996.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Matthews told him: "I have no idea if your remorse is genuine or not.

"You had told your victims that you were sorry, but you continued to abuse them.

"You say 'it just happened', but it did not just happen.

"You sacrificed their dreams for your own perverted desires."

The judge said the jail term would have been 13 years, but for the guilty pleas.

A police probe was eventually sparked when one of the victims bravely went to police in England.

Detective Sergeant Neil Wilson from Police Scotland’s National Rape Task Force said:

"Lincoln used his position within the Children of God to perpetrate violent sexual abuse against two young children. My thoughts continue to remain with the victims and those impacted by Lincoln’s deplorable actions over the many years.

"Thanks to the bravery of the victims in reporting the abuse to police, witness testimonies and the co-operation of international agencies, he is now being forced to face the consequences of his crimes after more than 30 years.

"I hope Lincoln's conviction and sentencing sends a clear message to sexual offenders that time and borders are no barrier to justice. Police Scotland and our partners are committed to bringing perpetrators before the courts.

"We would encourage anyone with information about sexual offences to report this to Police Scotland via 101, where it will be treated with the utmost seriousness."