DONALD MAIN'S REIGN OF TERROR IN ELGIN, FORRES, AND MORAY: SEX OFFENDER'S SHOCKING CRIMES AND LIFE SENTENCE

In a series of disturbing incidents that have sent shockwaves through the communities of Elgin, Forres, and Moray, Donald Main, a 24-year-old known sex offender, has been subjected to a life-altering sentence after a court found him guilty of a pattern of predatory and devious conduct aimed at young boys. The court proceedings revealed that Main, who had a long history of sexual offences against minors, began a new wave of troubling behavior shortly after his release from prison, which ultimately led to his life imprisonment.

According to court records, Main was released from a two-year incarceration period, during which he was convicted of following a 12-year-old boy. Despite being given a mobile phone by authorities for his safety, Main exploited this device to contact and harass young boys in the Moray area. The offences were described as “of a devious nature,” with the judge, Lord Uist, emphasizing that Main’s actions were clearly calculated to gain access to children for sexual purposes. The judge ordered that Main serve a minimum of 18 months before he could seek parole or release on license.

The court detailed that Main’s criminal record was extensive, including previous convictions for lewd conduct towards boys aged between 11 and 13, the abduction of a 12-year-old boy at a swimming pool, and following another 12-year-old to his home, where he broke into the residence. The latter incident was particularly alarming, as the child was forced to jump out of a first-floor window to escape Main’s pursuit. These offences underscored the high risk Main posed to the community and the ongoing danger he represented.

In December of the previous year, Main made calls to boys he had tracked down using the mobile phone issued to him after his release. These calls included contact with a 10-year-old boy, which was discovered when police checked the device. Main’s contact with minors also involved breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (Sopo), which prohibited him from making such contact, and loitering in a park where children played. Main admitted to breaching the order and also to failing to disclose to police that he was known by another name, further demonstrating his attempts to evade detection.

Previously, in March 2013, Main had used a prison-issued mobile phone to contact children after seeing their photographs in a local newspaper. He tracked down their family numbers in the directory and attempted to establish contact with boys as young as ten. Police investigations revealed that Main had called the homes of these children, with one call involving a 10-year-old who passed the phone to his father, and another where Main asked to speak to a 13-year-old boy, who did not recognize his voice. Main also contacted a 16-year-old by pretending to be 18, using a false name, and asked for his mobile number, which the youth refused to provide.

Authorities also found that Main had been near a skate park in Cooper Park, Elgin, where two young males in their early teens were present. During police interviews, Main refused to comment on the charges, maintaining silence when questioned about his breaches of the Sopo.

Further back, in January 2011, Main’s violent and reckless behavior was highlighted when he forced his way into a house in Forres, Moray, while intoxicated and under the influence of drugs. The 12-year-old boy inside was forced to escape by jumping from a second-floor window to avoid Main’s assault. Main, who was banned from being near children, had repeatedly kicked the door and shouted through the letterbox before smashing a window and entering the property. The court heard that there was a “high” risk of Main reoffending, and he was already serving a sentence until December of the following year for crimes involving indecency and abduction.

Throughout the court proceedings, Main’s history of offending was laid bare, including previous convictions for lewd conduct, abduction, and breaching probation orders related to indecent acts involving boys. His psychological assessment indicated a high risk of reoffending, and the court considered imposing a lifelong restriction order, which could prevent him from ever being released into the community again. The case was adjourned until May for further reports.

In sentencing, Sheriff Noel McPartlin emphasized the seriousness of Main’s actions and the danger he posed. He sentenced Main to 27 months in prison, to run concurrently with his existing sentences, and highlighted that the order banning him from contact with children was made because of his “serious offences of indecent practices and abduction.” The court’s decision underscores the ongoing concern for community safety and the need to protect vulnerable minors from individuals like Donald Main, whose criminal conduct has spanned years and shows no signs of abating.