An Alyth man who committed sex crimes against three girls and two boys has been jailed for 10 years.
Mitchell Pirnie, 52, formerly of Airlie Street, committed the crimes between 1996 and 2004, including the rape of one of the female victims.
Pirnie, 52, abused a young girl at a house in the Pitlochry area after she was taken in by his then-wife while her mother went into hospital.
He was reported to the police in 1996 after the girl’s mother discovered what had happened, but he remained free to continue to abuse youngsters.
He had denied a string of charges during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh but was found guilty of a total of nine offences. Two further charges were found not proven.
Detective Constable Julia Key of Perth Family Protection Unit said: “The bravery of Pirnie’s victims in coming forward and disclosing their experiences at the hands of Pirnie has to be commended, and has been absolutely vital in securing his conviction.
“Most of these victims were children when these offences were committed against them, and I hope today’s sentencing has brought them some level of comfort.
“We will not tolerate sexual violence or abuse of any form, and I would urge anyone who has experienced this to contact Police Scotland. You will be fully supported by us, and crimes of this nature will be fully and thoroughly investigated.”
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