MAN JAILED FOR NINE YEARS FOR ABUSING NINE-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN ARGYLL
A man who raped a nine-year-old girl was sentenced to nine years in prison yesterday.Peter Carter, aged 49, was found guilty of raping the young girl and sexually abusing her between 2005 and 2009.Additionally, he was convicted of sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl in August 2011.
The abuse took place at a residence in Argyll.
During the court proceedings at the High Court in Glasgow, Carter denied all charges and claimed the girls were lying.
Both victims provided evidence against him through video link testimony.
The older girl explained that when police questioned her about Carter’s abuse, she struggled to speak and had to write down the details of the sexual assaults because it was too difficult to say them aloud.
She stated, “It was easier for me to write them down than say them.
I was finding it very hard to get the words out.” The court heard that Carter had moved from England to Scotland to start fresh, abandoning his job as an engineer and setting up a carpentry business.
Defense lawyer Dale Hughes stated that Carter continued to deny the allegations and planned to return to Yorkshire after his release from prison.
Judge John Beckett QC sentenced Carter to nine years and ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders register and under community supervision for three years following his release.
The judge emphasized the reprehensible nature of Carter’s conduct, highlighting the trauma inflicted on his victims and stressing the need for deterrence and child protection.
The court's decision aimed to serve as a warning to others and to safeguard vulnerable children from further harm.
