WILLIAM HISLOP: NEILSTON AND RENFREW PAEDOPHILE SENTENCED FOR DECADES OF SEXUAL ABUSE

In a harrowing case that spans nearly four decades, William Hislop, aged 53, has been convicted and sentenced for a series of heinous sexual offences committed across the towns of Neilston and Renfrew. The lengthy history of his offending was finally brought to light during a court hearing at Paisley Sheriff Court, where justice was served after years of silence and suffering by his victims.

Hislop pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault involving minors, with incidents dating back to 1978 and extending as recently as 2015. The court was told that Hislop’s criminal activities included molesting young boys and girls at various addresses in Renfrewshire, including Neilston. The severity of his crimes was underscored by the fact that some victims were as young as nine years old, and the offences spanned multiple decades, revealing a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior.

The case came to a head when Hislop’s most recent victim, a teenage girl who had been staying at his home in 2015, bravely reported the assault. The girl, who suffers from dyslexia and autism, was attacked after he had plied her with alcohol and waited until her boyfriend had fallen asleep. Hislop then forcibly molested her by unzipping her onesie, an act that shocked the court and prompted a police investigation.

During the inquiry, authorities uncovered Hislop’s long history of sexual misconduct. It was revealed that his offending began in 1978 when he climbed into bed with a young boy, removing the child's pajamas and molesting him in a terrifying ordeal. Around 1980, he attacked a girl approximately 12 years old, climbing into her bed and removing her clothes while she was asleep. The court also heard about an incident involving a nine-year-old girl, whom he befriended through her parents. After stripping her naked in her bedroom, he proceeded to molest her, leaving her traumatized.

Hislop’s defense team, led by Gordon Ritchie, requested leniency, citing concerns over his mental health and safety if he were to serve time in prison. They argued that a community-based treatment order might be more appropriate, emphasizing that Hislop’s guilty plea had spared his victims the ordeal of testifying and reliving their trauma in court. Ritchie highlighted Hislop’s vulnerabilities, suggesting that incarceration could have severe consequences for his mental well-being.

Despite these pleas, Sheriff Seith Ireland emphasized the gravity of Hislop’s crimes. He pointed out that Hislop’s offending spanned from 1978 to 2015, involving multiple victims, some of whom were children. The sheriff stated that given the seriousness of the offences, custody was the only appropriate sentence. Hislop was sentenced to 15 months for each of the first three charges, which related to offences committed between 1978 and 1980, with these sentences to run concurrently. For the 2015 offence, he received a 40-month sentence, reduced to 30 months due to his guilty plea, which was to run consecutively to the other sentences.

In total, Hislop was sentenced to serve 53 months in prison. The court also ordered that he be subject to an extended two-year supervision period upon his release, during which he will be closely monitored. Additionally, Hislop was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely, reflecting the ongoing risk he poses to the community.

Hislop, who originally resided in Neilston and later moved to Glasgow, was described by Sheriff Ireland as a serious risk to public safety due to his repeated sexual offending. The court’s decision underscores the severity of his actions and the lasting impact on his victims, some of whom were only children at the time of the assaults. The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and justice in addressing sexual crimes against minors.