July 2011 Pensioner who sexually abused two young girls 30 years ago jailed A man who sexually abused two young girls more than 30 years ago has been jailed for three years. Terence Duddy, 65, starting abusing the first girl when she was aged just six until she was 12. The other girl was aged between ten and 14. On Friday, Sheriff Alistair Noble jailed Duddy, saying that custody was “inevitable”. He added: “What was involved was sexual abuse over a period of years. That abuse started when one girl was aged six and in the circumstances I do not think there is any way of avoiding custody.” Fiscal depute Aidan Higgins told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that the abuse of the girls was regular, every three or four weeks, and that afterwards the girls were told to “keep it a secret and do not tell anyone about it”. Duddy, from Livingston, earlier pled guilty to carrying out the abuse between May 8, 1972, and September 10, 1981, at an address in Edinburgh. Defence agent Nigel Bruce said: “The offences happened 30 years ago and he is ashamed for his behaviour and the knock on effect this has had on the victims of his offending. He is assessed as being of low risk of re-offending. The offences were committed 30 years ago and there has been nothing since then.” Mr Bruce added that Duddy wanted to address the issues behind the offending and appealed for jail to be avoided. Sheriff Noble also placed Duddy on the sex offenders register.