Child rapist who preyed on Elgin girl jailed for 8 years
Police praise the bravery of the young victim
A CHILD rapist who preyed on a girl from the age of 12 in Elgin was jailed for eight years today.
Gerard Haggerty, 61, will be placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely following his sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Haggerty was earlier convicted of abusing the under-age girl over a two-year period at a house in Elgin.
He pleaded guilty to rape and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
Detective Inspector Caroline Gray, of Police Scotland’s North East Public Protection Unit, said: “Gerard Haggerty first subjected this girl to sexual abuse when she was aged just 12 after getting to know her family in late 2017.
“He befriended them and they thought he was a genuine person. He seriously betrayed that friendship and abused her between December 2018 and the summer of 2020.
“It is thanks to her bravery throughout our investigation and the subsequent legal proceedings that he will now face the consequences of his appalling actions.
“Police Scotland would encourage anyone who has been the victim of abuse to come forward and report it. We will always thoroughly investigate in a sensitive and professional way.
“Anyone with information about sexual crime should come forward and speak to us by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.”