May 2019 Man jailed after sexually abusing children in Falkirk during 1980s A man has been jailed after sexually abusing two children in Falkirk in the 1980s. The crimes committed by Ian Kearney (54), who took advantage of a young girl and boy, were brought to light when one of his victims contacted police in 2017. Kearney, 161 Main Street, Neilston, East Renfrewshire, appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having admitted using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the girl, who was seven or eight at the time, when he was 16 or 17 on a number of occasions between January 1, 1980 and July 31, 1981, compelling her to look at his naked body and touch his private parts. He’d also admitted kissing the child on the mouth and touching her private parts. Kearney had also pled guilty to using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the boy, who was aged around nine, on an occasion between those dates, inducing him to lower his clothing and expose his private parts, making sexual remarks towards the boy and touching his private parts. Procurator fiscal depute Ashley Smith told the court Kearney abused the girl three times, with the first incident beginning with him asking the child to rub his stomach, to help his “constipation”, while he stood completely naked in a bathroom. On another occasion Kearney began touching the girl as she lay in a bed. In a separate incident, Kearney began touching the nine-year-old boy’s private parts as he lay in his bed and told him not to tell his mother. He was arrested and charged on September 1, 2017 following a police investigation. His defence solicitor said Kearney accepted “full responsibility” but couldn’t remember the incidents as he had been drinking heavily as a result of “his own traumatic childhood”. The court heard Kearney is currently serving a six-year sentence for a previous conviction. Sheriff Christopher Shead imprisoned Kearney for 23 months and placed him on the sex offenders register for ten years.