Rapist who abused young girls jailed for seven years

A rapist who exposed two girls to pornography at a young age and went on to sexually abuse them has been jailed for seven years.

Malcolm Lamont, 34, targeted the children over a seven-year period in Motherwell.

Lamont, formerly of Denny, near Falkirk, denied a series of charges during an earlier trial at the High Court in Livingston, but was convicted of six offences.

Judge Fiona Tait told Lamont at the High Court in Edinburgh that his crimes were "of considerable gravity" which had a significant impact on the victims.

She said a victim impact statement provided by one of the complainers spoke of ongoing trauma due to the offending, which included disruption to her schooling.

Lamont perpetrated indecent conduct towards his first victim between March 2008 and May 2010 by showing pornographic images to the girl, who was then aged between six and eight, on his mobile phone and on television.

He carried out similar behaviour when the girl was aged 12 between March 2014 and March the following year by showing her pornographic images and websites.

During the same period his offending escalated into touching the girl and raping her.

He was also found guilty of indecency towards a second girl after showing her pornography on his phone and TV when she was aged between two and four between March 2008 and May 2010.

He carried out similar abusive behaviour towards the second girl when she was aged between seven and nine and went on to sexually assault the child.

The judge said she acknowledged that Lamont does not have previous convictions for sexual offending.

Defence counsel Iain Smith said that Lamont continued to deny committing the offences.

He told the court that Lamont has one previous conviction for assault and had never been to prison until he was remanded in custody at the end of his earlier trial in March this year.

He said Lamont reported that he had a difficult family background and was assessed as being "vulnerable".

The defence counsel said that Lamont was well aware that a custodial sentence was inevitable following his conviction for the rape and sexual assault charges.

Lamont was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely following sentencing.