MARTIN ROPER FROM ORNISTON SENTENCED FOR RAPE OF 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN EAST LOTHIAN

In a case that has shocked the community of Ormiston and the wider East Lothian area, Martin Roper, aged 36, was convicted and sentenced for the serious crimes of grooming and raping a young girl who was only 12 years old at the time. The offences, which took place during the months of January and February 2016, culminated in a lengthy prison sentence and a series of strict post-release conditions.

Roper was found guilty of engaging in a manipulative relationship with the girl, beginning when he was 35 years old. The court heard that he deliberately cultivated a relationship with her via social media platforms, including Facebook and Snapchat. The communication between them became increasingly intimate, with both exchanging messages that expressed love and sending each other photographs—she of herself in her underwear, and he of his own body. This pattern of communication laid the groundwork for the subsequent criminal acts.

According to court records, the relationship escalated to in-person meetings at Roper’s residence in Ormiston. During these encounters, Roper committed two separate acts of sexual assault against the girl, the second of which occurred on February 16, 2016. It was during this second assault that Roper, having no condoms available, engaged in rape. The following day, Roper drove the girl to a pharmacy, where she was given £60 to purchase a morning-after pill, indicating her awareness of the potential consequences of their actions.

During her visit to the pharmacy, the girl disclosed to staff that she had engaged in sexual activity the previous night with a boy of similar age. Concerned by her account, the pharmacy staff contacted her general practitioner, who advised that the police should be informed. The girl, distressed by the situation, expressed her desire to delay the process and asked to go home. Outside the pharmacy, she discovered that Roper had driven away. She then returned to the pharmacy and waited for police to arrive. Despite attempts to contact Roper afterward, he did not respond to her messages. Eventually, she confided in her mother about what had happened, prompting the police to be called once more.

Roper’s legal representation, solicitor advocate Simon Whyte, highlighted that his client suffers from bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. He also noted that Roper lacked insight into the severity of his actions, which the court considered during sentencing. Judge Lord Burns, presiding over the case at the High Court in Glasgow, sentenced Roper to four years and ten months in prison. Additionally, Roper was ordered to be monitored in the community for three years following his release and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

In his remarks, Lord Burns emphasized the gravity of Roper’s conduct, stating: “When you were 35, you began a relationship with this girl who was 11. You must have known her age. You raped her on two occasions in your own home. This was a carefully planned grooming process that was methodically pursued. When you thought she was pregnant, you abandoned her and fled to England.” The case underscores the importance of vigilance and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to protect vulnerable minors from predatory behavior.