July 2023 Carer sexually abused a disabled man in his care A vile Paisley carer has been jailed for two years after he sexually abused a disabled man he was supposed to be looking after. Alexander Elliott also targeted one of his girlfriend’s relatives and a 15-year-old girl. The 34-year-old was sentenced for the crimes carried out between 2018 and 2021 at Paisley Sheriff Court. He was also place on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years. Elliot denied any wrong doing, however, he was convicted by jury earlier this year following a trial The court heard that the carer preyed upon his girlfriend’s relative in 2019. He contacted the woman and sent her a message “of a lewd, sexual and indecent nature”. He then targeted a disabled man he cared for repeatedly in January 2018 and January 2021. The court heard the victim was in a wheelchair and needed help with various tasks at his home in the Renfrewshire town. He struggled to wash himself so Elliott had to assist with showering him, while the man was sitting on a seat within the shower. The court heard that, on various occasions, he made “inappropriate and sexual comments towards” the man. Claims that he had also directed water from the shower towards the man’s privates, and made a sexual remark, were deleted from the charge by the jury when they convicted him. He then went on to sexually assault a 15-year-old girl between May and June 2021. He removed bed covers, touched her body, and rubbed himself against her sexually and also sent her sexual messages. The jury ruled it was “for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming” her and that the messages were “of a lewd, sexual and indecent nature”. Sentencing Sheriff Hugh McGinty said: “You were convicted of sending indecent and sexually suggestive messages to one of your girlfriend’s relatives. You were a carer for your victim, who required a significant amount of assistance due to his disability and you directed sexual comments to him while you were washing him. “You sexually abused a girl when she was 15 years old and thereafter communicated sexually with her. The common denominator is that all of your victims were highly vulnerable and you were, unfortunately for them, in a position of trust as far as you were concerned. I form the view that the only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment.” Sheriff McGinty ruled the offences were too serious and backdated his jail term to last month, when he was found guilty by the jury.