CHILD RAPIST HANDED TEN AND A HALF YEARS IN JAIL FOR ABUSE
A pedophile who reoffended by attacking his victim years after initial abuse has been sentenced to ten and a half years in prison.Jamie MacArthur first targeted the girl when she was around nine or ten years old, assaulting and raping her at a flat in Glasgow's Castlemilk area sometime between October 2018 and October 2020.
He committed another sexual assault and rape in November 2024 at a residence in Forfar, Angus, after the girl had turned 15.
During the sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh, a judge remarked: “Shockingly, although she disclosed the first offence to her mother, it seems no action was taken.” Following the second incident, the girl confided in a school guidance teacher, prompting police involvement.
Judge Norman McFadyen KC told MacArthur: “Your conduct has, unsurprisingly, had a profound and lasting effect on your victim.” He added that “these were offences of the gravest kind,” and expressed concern that MacArthur shows very little understanding of the harm caused by his actions.
The court ordered that MacArthur be subject to community supervision for an additional three and a half years on license, with the possibility of imprisonment if he breaches the conditions.
MacArthur, a former dishwasher and delivery driver, had previously admitted to the two counts of rape against the girl.
His lawyer, Jonathan Crowe, explained that MacArthur had a troubled and difficult childhood raised in unstable circumstances.
He pointed out that, despite having a criminal record, MacArthur had no prior convictions for sexual offences.
Mr.
Crowe stated that MacArthur instructed him to convey a public apology regarding his actions towards the girl and that he pleaded guilty to avoid the need for a trial.
He also noted that MacArthur had a history of using cocaine and crack cocaine, and that at the time of the offences, he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, impairing his judgment.
The lawyer added that MacArthur had abstained completely from drugs since being remanded last year and is committed to maintaining a drug-free lifestyle after release.
Lastly, MacArthur was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, and the judge issued a non-harassment order prohibiting him from contacting or attempting to contact the victim.
