Man, 65, convicted of historical abuse in Fife

A 65-year-old man has admitted carrying out vile sex attacks on two underage boys in a Fife village, starting when he was a child himself.

John Finlay told one of his victims it would be their “wee secret”, with a court hearing how he targeted the children for almost a decade.

Reports have been ordered after Finlay admitted two charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices in the 1970s and 1980.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard how police were first informed about Finlay’s abuse in 1995 but no action was taken.

Abuse began, aged 12

Finlay was 12 when he launched his first attack on a four-year-old.

The man – now in his 50s – recalled an incident in 1971 when Finlay exposed himself and asked him to perform a sex act.

Finlay would go on to abuse him in his bedroom.

Prosecutor Emma Farmer said: “The complainer did not disclose what occurred.

“Upon reading about a police investigation in a newspaper, the memories of the abuse came back to him.”

Left victim petrified

The second victim stayed in the same street as Finlay growing up.

Finlay would babysit him and the man, also in his 50’s, said he was abused from the age of 11, with the first incident after he loaned a cassette from Finlay.

Ms Farmer said the abuser took a “firm grip” of the boy’s arm when he was sexually abusing him.

Finlay told the boy: “It won’t last too long” and “what’s happened, it’s our wee secret”.

The court heard the complainer was “shocked” and “petrified”.

In another incident, Ms Farmer said Finlay sexually abused the boy while saying ‘you’re enjoying that aren’t you?’

The complainer said “no” and Finlay again took a “tight” grip of his wrist and abused him.

It was revealed the boy was unable to pull himself away but looked to one side as he did not want to see what was happening.

Finlay was prevented from carrying out further abuse after the boy told his mother he did not like him, which ended the babysitting.

Victims brought together

Ms Farmer said the man reported the incident when he was 28 in 1995 and contacted police in November 2018, asking them to review the case.

He was in touch with the other man in January 2021, with both disclosing that they were victims of similar abuse.

Finlay, of Forres Drive in Glenrothes, pled guilty to attacking the first boy between October 8 1971 and October 7 1973.

He targeted the second boy between November 12 1978 and November 11 1980.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until December for a social work report to be prepared and allowed Finlay’s bail order to continue.

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