A former Aberdeen man has been found guilty of historic sex offences against young boys.
Nigel Beacham, 50, targeted one of his victims in 2004, when the child was just 12, and continued abusing him until the age of 16.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is now an adult and told the jury at Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Beacham touched his penis and performed a sex act on him.
Further charges relating to three other young boys in Aberdeenshire included Beacham forcing them to watch pornography and exposing his penis to them.
Beacham was also convicted of engaging in sexual activity with one of them by touching his chest and making him put his hands down Beacham’s trousers.
Two of the boys were aged 14 during the time of the offending, a third was 17.
‘That would make me a paedophile’
Beacham – who now lives in Wales – denied the charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour dating back to 2004 and sexual assaults towards the boy who was aged between 12 and 16 at the time.
He told police that sexual acts did occur with his youngest victim – but claimed he thought the child was 16.
When told of the boy’s age during a police interview, he responded: “Twelve? There’s no way he was 12. That would make me a paedophile.”
The boy gave evidence by video link, telling the court he would be at Beacham’s house to visit one of his three children.
Play fighting turned sexual
He described times where Beacham would initiate play-fight wrestling, which would “become more”.
He told the court that Beacham touched his penis and would go on to perform a sex act on him, whilst he was pinning him to the floor.
The witness explained that he had thought he was aged 12 when this first happened, and that it continued “near enough every time” he visited Beacham’s house, which was “fortnightly or sometimes once a month” until he was 14.
It carried on less regularly until the boy was 16, he said.
He said the abuse made him confused about his own sexuality, and he did not tell anyone about it until he was older.
Police interview played to court
Beacham was interviewed about the allegations in 2012, and the recording was played during the trial.
The police officer who conducted the interview, Grant Rigg, gave evidence at the trial.
In the recording, Mr Rigg tells Beacham he is being questioned about allegations of lewd behaviour towards a boy under the age of 16.
Mr Rigg explains that the boy had says the abuse began when he was 12 or 13 years old.
Beacham replies: “It’s not true – he was 16.”
He admitted sexual acts had taken place with the boy, but maintained he thought he was 16 when it started.
Mr Rigg asked why it had started, he replied: “He told me he thought he was gay – he touched me first.
“He was young then, maybe that was wrong.
“If he was under 16, does that mean I’m in trouble?”
‘I would never forgive myself’
During the interview, Mr Rigg tells Beacham that the boy has alleged the incidents began when he was 12, to which Beacham replies: “Twelve? There’s no way. That would make me a paedophile.”
Later Beacham is again told the boy is under the age of 16, he answers: “I hope not – I would never forgive myself.”
Mr Rigg later suggests that even if the boy was “16 or not” the sexual activity was inappropriate, given that he was a friend of his children. Beacham replied: “You are probably right.”
Convicted of sex crimes
The jury of eight woman and seven men took just under three hours to find Beacham guilty on all five charges, unanimously on the sexual assaults.
During the trial, Beacham also pled guilty to one charge of behaving in a threatening manner by brandishing a knife at five boys in 2023.
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson said Beacham had no previous convictions, and his defence agent, John MacLeod, asked for bail to be continued before sentencing.
Sheriff Ian Wallace told Beacham: “You have been convicted of very serious sexual offences involving young boys whom you took advantage of, with offences spanning from 2004 to 2023.
“The long-term impact on one in particular was significant, which was eloquently stated in his evidence.”
He deferred sentencing on Beacham, of Two Locks, Cwmbran, for background reports but placed him on the sex offenders register with immediate effect and ordered him to return to Aberdeen Sheriff Court on July 4.