Abuser who molested girls for years is sent to prison

A PENSIONER guilty of historic sex offences against girls has been jailed for four years.

The 81-year-old, who molested children in Wester Ross and Moray in the 1970s and 1980s, learned his fate this week.

Alexander Florence had denied lewd behaviour towards two girls aged between 5 and 11 as well as indecently assaulting one of them when she was 16.

But a jury at Inverness Sheriff Court last month took around an hour to convict the windower from Fochabers of three offences.

The trial heard he intimately touched and sexually abused them between 1974 and 1981.

The crimes took place at locations in Mosstodloch, Elgin and Glen Shiel.

Defence solicitor Robert Cruickshank told Sheriff Sara Matheson: "There are no previous and there has been no subsequent convictions. He maintains his innocence and is regarded by the author of the social work report as being of minimal risk (of reoffending).

"He has worked from the age of 15 until 72 when he retired to nurse his ailing but now deceased wife. His son and daughter remain supportive of him."

Jailing Florence but backdated to March 6 - the date of his remand - Sheriff Matheson told him: "These are serious sex offences with the aggravating factors being that they were committed over a length of time, the frequency of the assaults, the psychological effects on your victims and the fact they were of primary school age."

Florence was also placed on the Sex Offender's register for life.

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