Aberdeenshire Pensioner Jailed For Sex Offences

A pensioner was jailed for six years today in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal for a horrific catalogue of sex crimes against children committed decades. 78 year old William Brown preyed on vulnerable boys and groomed them before subjecting them to prolonged abuse. One victim told a court that it was not until the scandal broke over the deceased paedophile DJ and broadcaster that he decided to go to the police. He said: "Once it came out about Jimmy Savile I thought the person who abused me is still alive. Why should he get away with it?" A judge told Brown at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You were found guilty of the most serious sexual offences against four young boys." Lord Burns said that some of the offences "spanned a very long period of time". "It was clear that you had groomed these highly vulnerable and troubled boys and proceeded to sexually abuse them for a prolonged period of time," said the judge. Lord Burns said that it was clear from the way victims gave evidence at Brown's earlier trial that they were "highly damaged individuals". Brown, formerly of Kintore, in Aberdeenshire, had stood trial after denying charges against him. But he was convicted of five sex crimes, including indecent assault, against four victims between 1968 and 1991. Some of the abuse occurred at his home in Kintore and at a caravan. The former blacksmith gave two of the victims money and told them not to tell anyone. One of the youngsters was aged just five when he first became a target for Brown. Lord Burns told Brown that he could take into account his age and the present state of his health in sentencing the first offender. The judge said he also had regard to a background report prepared on the sex offender which did not consider there was any great likelihood of Brown re-offending because of his age and health. Defence counsel Jonathan Crowe said Brown had "a substantial history of physical illness" including angina, asthma and back pain. He is also registered as partially blind, said Mr Crowe. He said that before Brown was remanded in custody social services had provided a care worker to help look after him. Mr Crowe said: "He is under no illusion that he must receive a custodial sentence for what he has been convicted of." The defence counsel said that since Brown was found guilty of the offences he has acknowledged being involved in the crimes.

"He does acknowledge he has done wrong and he wishes to make a public apology to all those affected directly or indirectly by his actions," he told the court. The defence counsel urged the judge to exercise such leniency as he could in the circumstances. Lord Burns told Brown that he would remain on the sex offenders' register for life.