FOOTBALL COACH JIM TORBETT GUILTY OF HISTORIC CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN GLASGOW
Jim Torbett, the founder of Celtic Boys Club, has been found guilty of four serious charges of sexual abuse against a young boy over 50 years ago.The former coach, who is now 75 years old, was convicted of abusing a 13-year-old boy in 1967.
These abuses took place over more than a year, occurring in various locations including his car, a flat, and a toy shop in Glasgow.
Despite denying the allegations, Torbett was found guilty after a trial and received a sentence of three years in prison, which he is set to serve after completing a current six-year jail term for previous convictions.
He was previously jailed in 2018 for abusing three boys over an eight-year period, adding a second conviction for sex offenses against boys.
The latest conviction was related to incidents where the court was told he kissed the young victim on the lips, put his hand down the boy's shorts, and told him not to wake a second boy staying at his late mother's flat.
Torbett was also charged with indecently assaulting the boy at a toyshop in Glasgow's Maryhill and targeting him while in a vehicle in Drumchapel.
Other charges included using lewd, indecent practices and touching the boy while he was sleeping in a flat in Sighthill.
During the trial, it was revealed that Torbett used the football team as a means to recruit young victims, exploiting their vulnerability for sexual gratification.
The judge described his actions as causing significant, lifelong harm to his victims, especially noting that he had previously avoided responsibility for his conduct for over 30 years.
The prosecutor noted that Torbett had a history of abuse, including a conviction in 1998 for similar offenses involving three Celtic Boys Club members and another in 2018 involving three more boys, with one abused as young as five.
Torbett denies all allegations, claiming to be a "decent man" and stating he will repeat this denial until his death.
The case gained attention after victims, including Kenny Campbell, spoke out publicly.
Following a BBC documentary on football abuse, Torbett was tracked down to California, where he was confronted and subsequently arrested upon his return to Scotland.
The judge emphasized the extent of Torbett’s manipulation of his victims and the lasting impact of his crimes, condemning his exploitation of the football club as a front for abuse.
He is now awaiting the completion of his current jail sentence before serving the new three-year term.
