DUMBARTON EX-SOLDIER ROBERT BALLANTYNE UNMASKED AS CHILD ABUSER AND SEX OFFENDER IN PORTSMOUTH AND PETERHEAD

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community and beyond, Robert Ballantyne, a 38-year-old former soldier from Dumbarton, has been convicted of heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of two young girls. The lengthy legal proceedings revealed a pattern of disturbing behavior that spanned over a year, with the abuse taking place between January 2002 and February 2003, when the victims were just six and nine years old.

Ballantyne’s criminal history is deeply troubling. He was finally brought to justice last week after a two-day trial at Dumbarton Sheriff Court, where the jury found him guilty of multiple charges related to the sexual assault of the two girls. The court heard that the assaults occurred during evenings when Ballantyne was alone with the children in his home, which was located in Dumbarton at the time. The victims, now both in their twenties, testified that the abuse involved manipulative and inappropriate games, including a disturbing “chasing game” that escalated into exposing their private parts. The elder girl recounted how, if she was caught during the game, Ballantyne would pull her trousers down, leaving her naked from the waist down, while he exposed himself and encouraged her to touch his private parts.

The court also heard that Ballantyne would play similar games with the younger girl, and that he repeatedly sexually assaulted her while she was in the bath. Despite giving evidence in his own defense, Ballantyne denied any inappropriate conduct, claiming that the games he played with the children, such as “tig” and “hide and seek,” were innocent. However, the prosecution’s case was compelling, with the procurator fiscal depute Martina McGuigan emphasizing that Ballantyne waited until he was alone with the girls to carry out the assaults. She also pointed out that when questioned by police, Ballantyne suggested that their mother might have influenced the children to make false accusations, a claim that was dismissed by the court.

During the trial, the court was shown evidence of Ballantyne’s prior convictions, including a particularly grave case from 2004. In that incident, he threatened a woman from Alexandria with a knife, forcing her to strip and inflicting multiple acts of sexual violence. The court described this offense as “of the utmost gravity,” and it was revealed that Ballantyne had also photographed his victim, with the images later recovered by police. His criminal record also includes a conviction from the High Court in 2004, which Sheriff William Gallacher described as extremely serious.

Further details emerged about Ballantyne’s time in prison. In 2004, he was jailed for 15 years after a brutal attack on a woman, during which he threatened her with a knife, tied her to a bed, and inflicted multiple injuries. Despite his military background, where he was hailed as a hero for helping clear landmines in Kosovo, his violent and sexual offenses starkly contrasted with his public image. While incarcerated, he was involved in an attack on James Taylor, a known paedophile serving time for raping a baby girl. Ballantyne, along with fellow inmate Raymond Dempster, assaulted Taylor in Peterhead Prison, leaving him with cuts and bruises. Dempster, who had been imprisoned for raping a young woman, was moved out of the prison following the attack. Both Dempster and Ballantyne expressed their hatred for paedophiles, despite their own criminal histories involving sexual violence.

In recent years, concerns about Ballantyne’s whereabouts persisted. In 2007, he was found to be residing in Alexandria after serving just over half of a six-year sentence for his previous sex offenses. More recently, in April, police launched a search involving a helicopter and drone in Portsmouth after Ballantyne was reported missing. He had claimed he was going for a walk with his dogs but failed to return. The following day, he surrendered himself to authorities. He is currently remanded in custody, with the court calling for social work reports to determine the appropriate next steps. The judge indicated that all legal options would be considered as the case moves forward, emphasizing the seriousness of his crimes and the need for justice to be served.