The families of two young girls who were sexually assaulted by an Aberdeen predator say their daughters have been left “traumatised” by his sick actions.
Alan Bremner abused both girls when they were aged between 12 and 14 over the course of two years.
Bremner today appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and pled guilty to one charge of sexual assault and another of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with an older child.
The 59-year-old former bus driver told one girl he’d “buy her a toy” if she had sex with him and urged her to “just do it”.
Over the course of 18 months, he touched the young girl inappropriately both over and inside her clothing more than 10 times.
Speaking after the case, the mum of that victim said her daughter had been left traumatised by the abuse.
“She has been having flashbacks, nightmares and has been wetting the bed,” she said.
“She is now going through counselling at the tender age of 15.
“We are relieved there’s not going to be a trial, as we were afraid that would crack her.
“But we have now got to pick up the pieces of what he has done. Just because he is in jail now it’s not going to go away for us.”
Told her ‘just do it’
On one occasion he fondled the girl under her clothing while hidden behind a bush in an Aberdeen park.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told the court how the girl tried to get away but he grabbed hold of her.
“Afterwards, he told her to keep it a secret,” the fiscal added.
The court also heard how Bremner would often video call the teen and on one occasion asked her to show him part of her body naked.
When she refused he then watched her remove her dungarees to use the toilet, and stated “wow” and “look at this” before exposing himself to her over her phone.
He continued his vile behaviour into last spring when he told the youngster he’d get her a toy if she had sex with him and said “just do it”.
The court heard how he took off all her clothes, despite her pleas with him to stop, before he exposed himself to her and forced her to touch him.
He then penetrated her, stopping only when she said she wanted to go to the bathroom.
He told her to “keep this a secret”.
‘Video at school saved my daughter’
The girl spoke up about the abuse she’d suffered after seeing an educational video at school just weeks later.
“That video saved my daughter,” her mum added.
“It’s about private parts and how nobody should touch them. That video made her realise it was wrong.
“The school has been amazing with it all. It was the school she first spoke to.”
Her bravery prompted another girl to also come forward to share her experiences at the hands of Bremner.
On one occasion she was in a shop aisle alone with Bremner and he said “I cannot wait to have fun with you”. After that he touched her private parts beneath her clothes.
On another occasion, in October 2019, he grabbed her bottom in an ice cream shop queue, and in May 2021, at a birthday party, he touched her under her clothing and only stopped when the girl’s dad entered the room.
The court heard how it was common for Bremner to grab the girls breasts or bottom whenever they hugged.
‘He had told her nobody would believe her’
Speaking after the case, that girl’s dad said she didn’t initially speak up because she was scared it would get them into trouble.
“He had told her nobody would believe her and people would think she was a liar,” her dad said.
“That damage this has done to her … she used to love school and look forward to going but it became one excuse after another not to go.
“I don’t know what he had said to her but she was always afraid he was going to be waiting somewhere for her.”
They said Bremner appeared “normal” and expressed “no fear” of being caught.
“What affected us most is that we didn’t see this coming,” the dad added.
“I don’t know if you could call it manipulative or what it was, but none of us had a hint of this. He was normal, we never had an inkling.”
Remanded in custody
Speaking about the assault at the birthday party, the dad said: “I was out the room for 15 to 20 seconds max and in that time he had his hands on my daughter and was telling her “I can’t wait to have fun with you”. There was just no fear.”
Sheriff William Summers deferred sentencing of Bremner, of Provost Rust Drive, Aberdeen, until next month to allow for background reports and a risk assessment to be carried out.
He was remanded in custody and placed on the sex offenders register.
“As soon as we told her he was away to prison it was like a weight had been lifted from her,” the girl’s dad added. “Her first response was to ask when could she go back to school.”
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