A sex predator who abused vulnerable children two decades ago was jailed for six years today.
James Stewart (61) molested and assaulted four victims subjecting three children to sexual ordeals.
A judge told Stewart at the High Court in Edinburgh that he had to pass a substantial jail sentence to reflect the gravity of his crimes.
Lord Beckett said: “You conduct has had serious and lasting effects on your victims.”
The judges said that he had to impose a sentence to punish Stewart and to deter him and particularly others from committing such crimes.
Lord Beckett said: “I have had regard to the passage of time since the commission of the last of your offences.”
He said he took into account Stewart’s age, health and that he had only one minor previous conviction.
The judge said he was constrained in sentencing on some of the offences as the maximum penalty allowed by Parliament at the time they committed was only two years imprisonment.
He told Stewart that he would be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Stewart, formerly of The Square, Portlethen, in Aberdeenshire, had originally faced 14 charges but was convicted of five sex crimes and an assault committed between 1990 and 1994 at addresses in Aberdeen and Kemnay, in Aberdeenshire.
One victim was molested by Stewart from the age of 11 and was forced to carry out sex acts and abused with a banana.
Stewart also carried out a sex act on a girl when she was aged 12 or 13 and exposed himself to the child.
He also made sexual remarks and molested a teenager at different addresses in Aberdeen. He also assaulted a fourth victim by urinating on her.
Defence counsel Mark Stewart QC said Stewart had maintained his position of innocence. He added that Stewart had not offended since the crimes he was found guilty of.
