WILLIAM MCCAGH FROM HATTON SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE CASES

In a recent court ruling at Peterhead Sheriff Court, William McCagh, a 57-year-old resident of Manse Terrace in Hatton, was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of serious sexual offenses involving two young girls. The court heard that McCagh had engaged in inappropriate and lewd conduct towards these minors on multiple occasions, spanning over several years.

During the sentencing, Sheriff Marysia Lewis described McCagh as a manipulative individual, emphasizing the breach of trust involved given his close relationships with the families of the victims. She stated that McCagh had been a friend to the families and had even acted as a babysitter, which made his actions particularly egregious. The court also ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders register for a period of ten years, reflecting the severity of his crimes.

McCagh faced two separate charges related to his misconduct. The first involved lewd, libidinous practices directed at a girl aged between seven and eleven years old, with the offenses occurring over a period from July 10, 2000, to November 1, 2004. The second charge concerned similar lewd behavior towards another girl, who was under 16 at the time, with incidents taking place between November 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008.

Initially, McCagh had pleaded not guilty to these charges, but after a trial, the court found him guilty of all allegations. The court was informed that McCagh was a first-time offender, and a social enquiry report indicated that he had a relatively low risk of re-offending, with a 7% chance over the next five years.

Sheriff Lewis expressed her view that a custodial sentence was necessary in this case, citing the public interest and the nature of the offenses. She remarked, “These were not isolated incidents. You knew the mothers of the girls, you were a friend to the families, you became babysitter for the families. These families welcomed you into their homes and you were manipulative and you abused their trust.”

Consequently, William McCagh was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, and the court made it clear that he would be subject to the sex offenders register for ten years, underscoring the gravity of his crimes and the impact on the victims and their families.