A violent north-east sex offender might never be released from prison due to the grave danger he poses to the public.
Taylor Lamb, 21, was convicted at the High Court in Aberdeen of raping a 12-year-old girl at a property in Aberdeen in 2017, when he was aged 14.
Lamb was also convicted of sexually assaulting a second girl when she was just 15 and a third when she was 13.
He was aged 18 at the time of these offences.
The jury found Lamb guilty of an additional charge of requesting that the 12-year-old girl send him naked pictures, before forwarding an image of his private parts to her.
Judge Olga Pasportnikov sentenced Lamb to a lifelong restriction order, meaning he will be imprisoned for an indeterminate period.
She also made Lamb – who has a history of violent offending against women – subject to the sex offenders register for life.
Sex offence took place in woodland
During a trial last year, it was heard how between November 6 and November 30 2017 at an address in Peterhead, Lamb, then aged 14, removed the clothes of a 12-year-old girl and raped her.
He was additionally convicted of sending the same girl sexual messages and images from a property in Peterhead between February 1 and November 5 2017.
The advocate depute stated that Lamb sent the girl repeated text messages begging her to send him naked pictures of herself.
It was also proved that Lamb caused the child to look at a sexual image in order to achieve gratification by sending an image of his private parts.
More child victims
Jurors also found Lamb guilty of a sexual offence involving a 15-year-old girl in a wooded area near Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, in May 2021.
It was proved that Lamb, then aged 18, repeatedly smacked the underage girl on the bottom, touched her private parts over her clothing and attempted to touch her breasts.
The jury additionally found Lamb guilty of another sexual offence by carrying out a sexual act upon a 13-year-old girl in June 2021 when he was aged 18.
Defence advocate David Moggach told the court that the conclusion of a report by a medical professional into Lamb’s thoughts on his offences was “fairly scathing in its terms”.
Violence against women
He conceded the court was faced with a “stark choice” when it came to how to deal with his client, due to the nature of these offences and his previous violent offending against women.
The P&J reported in 2023 how Lamb had punched a woman in the face and bit her breast, causing her to run terrified from a house in Aberdeen.
In mitigation, Mr Moggach proposed that Lamb could perhaps benefit from a “short custodial period” and lengthy period in the community under the supervision of the social work department.
“Ordinarily, a custodial sentence wouldn’t always be imposed here, and I ask that the court impose the latter,” the defence lawyer said.
Judge has to consider public safety
However, Judge Pasportnikov told Lamb that it was her role to consider the protection and safety of the public and the fact that he had been convicted of a variety of sexual offences involving young girls.
She said that, in her opinion, only a lifelong restriction order was appropriate in Lamb’s case.
“I have taken account of the nature of your offences and the harm that you pose,” the judge stated.
“And I have taken account of your background and the trauma you may have incurred in your life.
“Taking all four of these charges into account, and the risk that you pose, only a prison sentence is appropriate here.”
She sentenced Lamb, of Birch Grove, Mintlaw, to a period of six months imprisonment – but under lifelong restriction.
Judge Pasportnikov explained to Lamb that he would only be released from prison when the parole board deem it safe to do so.
Following this, she made Lamb subject to the sex offenders register for life and put a non-harassment order in place, meaning he cannot approach any of his victims for a period of five years.
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