GEORGE LOW AND SHOCKING SEX OFFENCES IN WEST LOTHIAN
A notorious serial sex offender, George Low, has finally been stripped of his freedom after a series of heinous crimes against children in West Lothian.Low, who had previously avoided imprisonment due to what are known as 'soft touch' sentencing guidelines aimed at rehabilitating young offenders, was remanded in custody following his guilty plea at the High Court in Livingston to multiple serious charges.
The court heard that Low, aged 20 and from Bathgate, admitted to committing six grave offences involving minors.
Among these, he pleaded guilty to raping a girl under the age of 13, sexually assaulting a schoolgirl also under 13, and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Additionally, he confessed to two counts of threatening behavior directed at a child.
These charges paint a disturbing picture of a predator who targeted vulnerable young girls.
The case was scheduled to proceed with a jury trial on Friday, but on the morning of the trial, Low’s pleas to ten other charges were accepted as not guilty.
Following his guilty pleas, he was remanded in custody to allow for the preparation of background reports, which are typically used to inform sentencing decisions.
Low’s criminal history is extensive.
He first appeared on petition at Livingston Sheriff Court in December 2021, facing accusations of rape and over fifty other sexual offences.
Prior to the recent High Court case, he had been prosecuted earlier this year at Livingston Sheriff Court for coercing 28 schoolgirls aged between 13 and 16 to view footage of him performing sexual acts.
He then threatened those who refused to reciprocate, exploiting social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat over a span of three years.
His last known victim was a 13-year-old girl, whom he targeted while he was on bail for earlier offences.
His offending began when he was just 15 years old in the summer of 2018 and continued until he was 18 and a half.
Despite the severity of his crimes, Sheriff Jane Farquharson chose not to impose immediate detention, citing that Low had already spent the equivalent of a 30-month sentence on remand.
Instead, she ordered him to undergo intensive social work supervision for three years and mandated that his name remain on the sex offenders’ register for the same period.
During sentencing, Sheriff Farquharson expressed her concern about Low’s continued interest in young girls, noting that this predilection persisted into his adulthood.
She remarked, “Of particular concern to me in sentencing you is your continued interest in young girls, that it would appear from this charge has persisted into your adulthood.
Put frankly, as you have got older, the victims of your sexual interest have not aged accordingly.” The sheriff also highlighted Low’s troubled childhood, revealing that he had suffered neglect, domestic abuse, and bereavement.
She explained that he experienced an unstable upbringing, spending much of his life in and out of foster care, without the support of a stable family or positive peer groups.
Sheriff Farquharson acknowledged that these traumatic experiences likely affected Low’s emotional regulation but emphasized that such circumstances do not excuse his criminal behavior.
The leniency of the sentence drew criticism from Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Jamie Greene MSP, who argued that it was too lenient given the gravity of Low’s crimes.
Greene stated, “Concerning cases like this once again reaffirm just how ill-advised some sentencing guidelines are in reality.
They do nothing to assure victims that justice is fully being served, something which SNP ministers seem oblivious to.” He further accused the Scottish government of adopting a 'soft-touch' approach to justice, prioritizing offenders over victims and their families.
Greene also mentioned his efforts to introduce a Victims’ Law to Parliament, aimed at ensuring victims are always central to the justice process.
His comments come in the wake of other controversial sentencing decisions, such as that of Sean Hogg, who was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl in a Midlothian park.
Instead of a custodial sentence of four or five years, Hogg received a sentence of 270 hours of unpaid work, supervision, and a three-year sex offenders’ register order.
Hogg’s case was later overturned at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh in October, citing insufficient evidence for conviction.
This series of cases underscores ongoing debates about sentencing policies and the protection of victims in Scotland’s justice system, with critics arguing that more stringent measures are necessary to ensure justice and safety for the community.
