Highland police have hailed the conviction of an Inverness child rapist who subjected boys as young as three to years of horrific sexual abuse.
Following the sentencing of Robert McGregor, 36, to ten years in prison today, officers acknowledged the courage shown by victims and their families to come forward in aid of the investigation.
Detective Inspector Mark Lambley, of the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit said: “Officers will continue to support the families, working alongside local partner agencies and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.”
He added: “Robert McGregor preyed on young children and abused the trust of the families involved through his abhorrent and unforgivable offending. A case this harrowing is rarely seen in Scotland and will understandably send shockwaves through our local communities.
“It is hoped, however, that today’s sentencing sends out a clear message that Police Scotland will robustly and sensitively investigate all reports of sexual abuse – regardless of when the abuse took place – helping to ensure we keep everyone safe.
“Police Scotland would take this opportunity to emphasise it is never too late to report abuse – we encourage anyone with concerns relating to the safety or wellbeing of a young person or any member of the community to make contact with Police Scotland, their local social work department, Crimestoppers or a partner agency such as NSPCC, where action will be taken to protect children and to prevent abuse.”
McGregor was caught with a cache of child pornography by police which led them to identify three victims he had sexually assaulted.
The child abuser’s home at Friars Street, in Inverness, was raided by police in May last year and laptops and other items were seized for analysis.
More than 2000 indecent photos and 899 videos were recovered many of which were found to contain materiel at the most extreme level of abuse.
McGregor, a delivery driver, had uploaded five videos to a peer to peer internet app which allowed others to view the footage of his abuse of one of his victims.
Police computer experts found that the files had been accessed by users in America, Germany and in the Czech Republic.
His sex assaults on children spanned more than a decade between 2001 and 2014 and all the attacks occurred in the Inverness area. His youngest victim was aged just three.
Another boy was subjected to nearly a decade of abuse from the age of six and the third child victim was 12 when McGregor assaulted him.
Sandra Campbell, Head of Children’s Services at Highland Council said:
“Highland Council social workers worked with Police Scotland on this case, to support the investigation and protect the interests of the children involved.
“The close partnership working we have developed through joint training of officers and social workers means that they are able to achieve the best possible outcome in such a disturbing case.”
Speaking after the sentencing, Andy Shanks, COPFS Procurator Fiscal for Sexual Offences, said: “Robert McGregor is a sexual predator who for over a decade targeted young boys for his sexual gratification. His actions have had a devastating impact on his victims and their families.
“It is as a result of developing the intelligence received from the National Online Child Abuse Prevention Agency and the excellent early communication, direction and collaboration between the Police and specialist prosecutors at COPFS, that McGregor has been swiftly brought to justice and faces the consequences of his deplorable actions.
“I would urge any victims of sexual crimes, even ones which occurred decades ago, to come forward and report them. They will be treated with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity by the police and our expert prosecutors and we will do all we can to deliver justice.”