JOHN SWAN FROM JEDBURGH SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES IN EDINBURGH AND SELKIRK

Eighty-two-year-old John Swan, a resident of Jedburgh, appeared before Edinburgh Sheriff Court where he pleaded guilty to charges of lewd, indecent, and libidinous behavior directed towards a young girl. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing history of Swan's misconduct, which spanned several years and involved multiple victims.

Initially, Swan's not guilty pleas to charges of indecent behavior towards an underage teenage girl and another count of indecent assault were accepted by the Crown, leading to a jury trial that ultimately resulted in his guilty plea. As part of his sentencing, Swan was ordered to serve 24 months in prison and was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of ten years, reflecting the severity of his offenses and the need for ongoing monitoring.

The court's records indicate that Swan's criminal behavior was not an isolated incident. In 2016, he had previously been sentenced to nearly three years of imprisonment after admitting to sexually abusing a young girl over a two-year period, starting when she was just eight years old. This earlier conviction also included a guilty plea to sexually assaulting a woman in her mid-20s who had learning difficulties.

Details presented during the case highlighted that the abuse against the young girl began under the guise of 'play fighting' within Swan's home but escalated to more serious acts, including lying on top of the child. The court was informed that on multiple occasions, Swan touched the girl indecently, simulated sexual intercourse, and even exposed himself to her. These incidents first came to light in 2005 when the girl confided in a relative, prompting a police investigation. However, Swan was interviewed at the time and released without charges.

Further reports emerged in 2014 when the woman with learning difficulties disclosed to a relative that Swan had touched her inappropriately. Upon learning that police wanted to speak with him again, Swan took a significant overdose of medication, resulting in a hospital stay that lasted several days. Despite these events, he was eventually sentenced to 24 months after admitting to lewd and libidinous practices towards the young girl between 1998 and 2000. Additionally, he received a further ten months for sexually assaulting the woman with learning difficulties in 2014, underscoring a pattern of predatory behavior that spanned many years and multiple victims.