September 2010 Paedophile jailed for sustained abuse of boy and girl A paedophile who abused a young boy and girl more than 1000 times, forcing them to carry out a catalogue of horrific sexual acts, has been jailed for two years. John MacDonald was convicted for the seven years of abuse in June by a jury. His two victims broke down in tears as the verdict was being delivered. MacDonald, of Crowwood Road, Calderbank, Airdrie, showed no emotion as a jury found him guilty after a three-day trial of the sexual abuse of a young boy, who was aged just five when the attacks began. They continued until he was 11 years old and a jury was told that he estimated MacDonald sexually abused him over 900 times. A jury of 10 women and five men took just 50 minutes at Airdrie Sheriff Court to return majority guilty verdicts of using lewd and libidinous practices towards the two young children, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. The young girl was six when MacDonald sexually assaulted her and the attacks continued for almost two years. Sheriff John C. Morris QC told him: “These are very serious charges which went on for an awful long time when you knew what you were doing was not right.” The jury found deviant MacDonald guilty of sexually abusing the young boy, who is now aged 25, over 900 times between October 21, 1989 and October 20, 1996. He forced him to carry out a series of sexual acts at a house in Airdrie and also showed the youngster pornographic images. The boy, during evidence, told the jury: “It happened three or four times a week over seven years. Every time he saw me. It must have been over 900 times. I was so young at the time I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t known then it was wrong what he was doing, until I went to secondary school.” He was also convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl between May 30, 1992 and May 29, 1994, at two houses in Airdrie, and on parkland at the rear of Hamilton Drive, Airdrie. His victim, now aged 24, openly sobbed in court as the verdict was announced. The jury found a third charge of sexual abuse against another girl, not proven. It had been claimed he attacked her in a house in Airdrie on various occasions, estimated at 250 times, between May 5, 1991 and May 4, 1994, while the girl slept. Defence counsel Derek Nelson, advocate said: “MacDonald, when interviewed by police, denied ever inappropriately touching the young boy. He admitted to once kissing and cuddling the girl, for which he got a kicking for his trouble. He denied any contact at all with the third girl. “He has lost his job, his family and his home, and even coming to court for the deferred sentence as luck would have it he was stopped by the police for speeding. Clearly the public must be protected and children in particular. “His movements will be continued to be monitored carefully, though I must point out there has been no further offences during the intervening period since he was 17 until this day. “His family have been subjected to attacks, his car damaged and threats made to him. He has had to move out of the area for his own safety.” MacDonald was also put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.