February 2014 Whithorn man raped seven-year-old girl A sex beast from Whithorn has been convicted of raping a seven-year-old girl 31 years ago. Francis O’Neill, 61, was also found guilty of indecently assaulting the girl. The offences were committed in Wigtownshire between July and August, 1982. O’Neill was also convicted at the High Court in Glasgow of sexually abusing a young boy when he was aged between nine and 10 from July 1982 to December 1985. He approached his victims while they were out playing and told both of them not to tell anyone what he had done. His rape victim – now a woman of 38 – said that despite the abuse he was was nice to her and made her feel special. The boy – now a 39-year-old man – told the court that O’Neill bribed him with cash and cigarettes. O’Neill was also found guilty of making indecent comments to a 15-year-old girl between January 1979 and January 1980. O’Neill denied the offences and claimed his victims were making it all up. The court heard that they eventually went to the police after years of keeping what had happened to them secret. O’Neill was remanded in custody by the judge, Lady Wise, and will be.sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh next month. Lady Wise told O’Neill: “You have been convicted of five charges some of which are extremely serious matters, including the rape of a young child.”