PETER FENTON FROM FYVIE SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG GIRL IN ABERDEENSHIRE

A 68-year-old man from Fyvie, Peter Fenton, has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl over a span of three years in Aberdeenshire. The conviction was secured following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in July, where Fenton faced serious charges related to his inappropriate conduct towards the minor.

Fenton, who maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, was convicted by a jury composed of 11 women and four men after more than three hours of careful deliberation. The court heard detailed evidence of the abuse, which had persisted over an extended period, and the judge, Sheriff Morag McLaughlin, sentenced Fenton to 15 months in prison. Additionally, she ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders register for a period of ten years.

The victim, now a teenager, bravely came forward to police and provided her account via video testimony. She described how Fenton’s inappropriate actions towards her had gradually intensified over time. Her testimony revealed that she eventually reached a breaking point, fighting back by shouting and screaming at him. Her decision to report Fenton to authorities was driven by her courage and sense of justice.

During the court proceedings, the girl recounted how Fenton’s abuse escalated to the point where he placed his hands inside her lower clothing and touched her private parts. She expressed feelings of confusion and discomfort, describing the experience as making her feel “weird and confused.”

Her mother also provided emotional testimony, explaining that her daughter called her on January 4 of the previous year, hysterical and distressed, claiming that Fenton had touched her. The mother recounted how she immediately questioned her daughter about the incident, leading to the heartbreaking revelation that Fenton had touched her skin during that encounter. The mother described her daughter’s emotional state as numb, noting that she was neither upset nor angry but simply overwhelmed.

Following her daughter’s decision to report the abuse, the mother expressed pride in her daughter’s bravery, emphasizing that her child believed reporting the incident was the right thing to do. The court heard that the girl had kept the abuse secret for years before finally deciding to seek justice.

After a three-day trial, the jury returned a majority verdict of guilty on charges that included sexual assault by touching the girl’s private parts between March 2020 and January 2023. Fenton was also convicted of observing the girl in the shower on multiple occasions, a charge supported by the evidence presented during the trial.

In her sentencing remarks, Sheriff McLaughlin emphasized the seriousness of Fenton’s actions and the impact on the victim. She sentenced him to 15 months in prison and imposed a non-harassment order, which prohibits him from approaching his victim for five years. Furthermore, Fenton, of Fyvie, was placed on the sex offenders register for a decade, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his conduct in the community.