JOHN SWAN FROM JEDBURGH SHAMES BORDER TOWN WITH CHILD ABUSE SCANDAL

In a disturbing case brought before Selkirk Sheriff Court, John Swan, a 78-year-old resident of Lothian Road in Jedburgh, has admitted to a series of heinous crimes involving a young girl and a young woman with learning difficulties. The court heard that Swan engaged in a pattern of sexual misconduct spanning several years, beginning when the girl was just eight years old.

According to prosecutor Graham Fraser, the abuse started with seemingly innocent play-fighting in Swan’s living room. However, the situation quickly escalated when Swan suddenly lay on top of the young girl and simulated sexual intercourse. The child, confused and unaware of what was happening at the time, believed Swan’s actions were related to sex, especially after he made a comment about wanting to 'float his boat in her river,' which she interpreted as a desire for sexual activity. Swan’s actions continued over the next two years, with incidents occurring when the girl was nine and ten years old.

One particularly distressing incident involved Swan, while they were sitting on a sofa and the girl was wearing a nightdress, placing his hand between her legs and penetrating her private parts. On another occasion, they were watching television when Swan squeezed her breasts. The girl confided in her mother about the abuse, but she later revealed she had not told her mother at the time. The court was told that in the summer of 2000, when the girl was ten, Swan pushed her back while they were doing a jigsaw puzzle and fondled her breasts. There was also an incident where Swan entered his room wearing pyjamas, exposed himself to her, and then inserted his finger into her private parts before she left the room.

The court heard that the girl’s understanding of Swan’s comments and actions was limited, and she believed he wanted to have sex with her. The abuse was reported to police in 2005 after the girl confided in a relative. Swan was interviewed but was released without charge at that time. However, the allegations did not end there. In 2014, Swan and his second wife hosted another young woman with learning difficulties. During this visit, Swan leaned over in his car and squeezed her breasts, making a comment about her teasing him with her breasts. She was shocked but did not initially report the incident. On a subsequent visit, Swan attempted to expose her breasts by pulling up her top while she was sitting on the sofa. When she returned home, she confided in a relative about Swan’s inappropriate behavior.

When Swan learned that police wanted to speak with him again regarding these incidents, he took a substantial overdose and was hospitalized for several days. The court was informed that Swan, who is twice widowed, pleaded guilty to the charges of lewd and libidinous practices towards the young girl from 1998 to 2000, as well as to sexually assaulting the woman with learning difficulties two years prior. Sheriff John Halley deferred sentencing until December 6 to allow for background reports and ordered Swan’s name to be added to the Sex Offenders Register, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the breach of trust involved.