A former community centre worker who raped and abused vulnerable adults and children in Angus and other parts of Scotland has been jailed for over 15 years.
Father-of-four David Robertson preyed on 16 victims in abuse spanning decades.
The 56-year-old began offending in his home city of Aberdeen in 1974 and lasted until 2011.
The father-of-four attacked his victims at different addresses in the city as well as a holiday village in Arbroath, a caravan park in Nairn and in Keith.
Robertson was found guilty of 25 charges, including raping two women and a girl under the age of seven years old.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, he was sentenced to 15 years and four months in jail and placed on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.
Robertson will also be kept under supervision for 10 years after his release and could be returned to prison if he offends again or breaches his licence.
Det Insp Malcolm Jones said: “We welcome the prison sentence handed down to David Robertson today.
“Robertson is a highly manipulative and controlling individual who has committed a catalogue of sexual abuse against children and vulnerable adults in every decade since the 1970s.
“He has abused his position of trust and his conduct has blighted the lives of his victims.
“Many of his victims were targeted because of their vulnerability and it is due to their courage in coming forward and giving evidence during the trial that his abuse has come to an end.
“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the strength and character shown by the victims and also thank those who have supported them at this time. It is my hope that the convictions and sentencing today will provide some form of closure for them.
“The thoughts of the enquiry team, are with them and their families today.
“I would also like to thank the team of dedicated officers and staff who worked very hard to bring David Robertson to justice. This was a difficult and distressing case to work on and it is pleasing to see a significant prison sentence handed down.
“We hope that it sends out the message that abuse will not be tolerated in our communities.”
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