Man who sexually assaulted schoolboy at Hibs Supporters Club jailed

William Burns attacked the child after an Edinburgh derby.

Published 21st Sep 2016

A convicted sex offender who molested a schoolboy at a football supporters' club after the screening of an Edinburgh derby match was jailed for six years today.

William Burns followed the youngster - who has learning difficultires - into the toilets and attacked him.

The 58 year old later told police: "I heard a kid got tampered with in the toilets, but I'm not guilty."

Burns admitted sexually assaulting the 12-year-old boy at the Hibernian Football Supporters Club on February 7th this year, when he appeared at the High Court in the city.

A judge told him: "You have pled guilty to an appalling offence. For your own sexual gratification you have preyed upon a young child and have subjected him to a horrendous ordeal."

Michael O'Grady QC said "the almost public circumstances" of the attack suggested that Burns had little control over his urges.

"It is apparent, so far as children are concerned, you are a predatory and dangerous individual," he said.

The judge said it was clear that Burns represented "a continuing and long term risk to the public and to children in particular."

He ordered that the sex offender should be kept under supervision for a further period of four years.