Man jailed for 40 years of sex abuse against children

A man who preyed on young children, including a schoolgirl in Cumnock, for more than 40 years has been jailed.

Bryan Grimes, 58, was warned he faces spending the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of raping and sexually assaulting girls and boys as young as four years-old.

A jury at the High Court in Livingston found Grimes guilty of committing 10 sexual offences in Methil, Colinsburgh, Elie and Anstruther in Fife and in Cumnock, East Ayrshire, between 1975 and 2017.

They included rape, attempted rape, two sexual assaults, one count of unlawful sex with a minor and four charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour.

Judge Lady Rae said: “He’s clearly a high risk offender. I appreciate it goes back some considerable time but it’s escalated.

“My impression of the accused when he gave evidence was that he displayed an arrogance which in all my years I’ve never seen before.

“An arrogance; a complete lack of remorse; continually abusing young children; no sense of shame, no empathy for the victims – and the jury saw those children giving evidence and saw the impact on them some years later.

“It was as if he thought he was quite entitled to do what he was doing, that was the impression I got as an observer.”

In her closing speech, advocate depute Kath Harper told the jury that Grimes was always particular in his choice of sexual target.

She said: “All are children were mainly girls but not exclusively so. Each of the eight complainers on the indictment was a child at the time they were abused.

“The accused has admitted a sexual interest in children.

“There was an escalation in the offending between 2012 and 2017, a clear escalating pattern of sexual abuse against children.”

The jury watched video recordings of emotional evidence given by the distressed and weeping victims of Grimes’ serial sexual abuse.

Following the jury’s verdicts, Lady Rae thanked the jury for paying close attention to what she said had been a “very difficult case”.

She added: “You obviously had to hear some very distressing evidence and – believe me – even though I hear these cases only too regularly, one can see how distressing that can be for anyone who has to listen to this evidence. Certain facilities will be made available to you if you feel you need some assistance.”

As a result of the convictions, the accused’s name will remain on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and Scottish Ministers have been notified of his conviction under protection of vulnerable groups laws