A rapist who claimed his victims told “big lies” was jailed today after he was convicted of a catalogue of abuse against children.
Steven Thain (26) molested girls during a 12-year period beginning when he was aged just 13 years old.
Thain was previously ordered to be detained for three years as a 19-year-old but after spending 18 months in custody re-emerged to continue his sex offending.
Thain, of West High Street, Elgin, in Moray, had denied a string of indecency, sexual assault and rape charges during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. But he was found guilty of a total of eight charges.
The sex predator pulled one victim, aged 14 or 15, into a house in Moray in 2010 and pushed her against a wall and raped her after pulling down her trousers and pants.
During the same year at a different address in the Moray area he attacked a 13-year-old girl and raped her after pulling down her trousers and pants.
Thain’s offending continued up to 2014 when he attacked a teenager at another house in Morayshire. During the assault with intent to rape he offered her money to see her naked body. She was pushed onto a bed and punched and kicked.
He was previously sentenced to detention in 2008 for sex crimes committed against children when a judge ruled that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.
His defence lawyer had argued that the case was exceptional because of his age at the time and said he was a child when the offences were committed.
But in sentencing Thain to three years detention Lord Woolman told him at the time: “The protection of children from sexual abuse is of vital importance to society.”
At his latest trial he told his defence counsel Gary Allan QC that he had “no idea” why victims told the court that they had been abused by him.
He said: “I didn’t do anything wrong. I kept myself to myself. I have no idea why they’ve said those things.”
Advocate depute Ian Wallace asked him whether the women in the case had been lying and Thain replied: “Yes.”
The prosecutor said they must have told “big lies”. Thain responded: “Yes, big lies.”
Thain had been on bail but following his conviction was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next month.
The trial judge Lord Armstrong said a course of criminal conduct extending from 2002 to 2014 was involved in the “grave charges”.
He told Thain that he was considering imposing an extended sentence, involving imprisonment followed by a period of supervision.
The judge called for a background report, including a risk assessment, to be prepared on him before sentencing. Thain was placed on the sex offenders’ register.
