Hawick man convicted of raping and abusing three children as young as two jailed for 14 years
Last updated 19th Apr 2023
A Hawick man convicted of raping and abusing three children, including one as young as two, has today (Wednesday) been jailed for 14 years at the High Court in Livingston.
Colin Bouglas, who's 56, committed the offences at addresses in the Borders between 1984 and 2019.
Judge Susan Craig said his sick crimes only came to light due to the "courage and bravery" of his victims.
She said Bouglas - who was found guilty of six abuse charges, including defecating in one of the girl's mouth - had tried to portray himself as a victim during the trial and showed no remorse.
Bouglas, who gave an address in Buccleuch Street and was described as a "medium risk" of reoffending, told at least one of the girls not to tell anyone what happened.
In addition to the jail term, he'll also serve a further five years under supervision in the community.
The sentence was backdated to December 9, 2022, when he was first remanded in custody.
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On sentencing, Judge Susan Craig told Bouglas: “You were convicted by a jury of charges of rape, sexual assault and lewd and libidinous practices involving two girls, now adults, who were each still at nursery and under school age when you raped and assaulted them.
"You were also convicted of sexually assaulting a child, who is still a child, from the age of two until she was six, and of raping her multiple times when she was just six.
"The rapes and sexual assaults of that child only came to light in 2020 when one of your now adult victims reported your rape of her to the police and they began investigating you.
"You were in a position of trust in respect of that child. You assaulted her repeatedly performing degrading and depraved acts on her. You also raped her multiple times.
"Your other victims, now both adults, each asked the court to allow them to give their evidence without any special measures to screen you from them because they wanted, they said, to look you in the eye when they told the court what you had done to them.
"Although they are now adults you raped them before they were even at primary school and it is clear from the evidence and their victim statements that that has had a profound effect on them as they grew up."
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The court heard a background report found Bouglas had "deviant sexual preferences showing sexual attraction to, and sexually abusing, young or very young female pre-pubescent children".
The risk assessor described him as being emotionally shallow and lacking the capacity for meaningful ongoing emotional attachment and commitment.
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The Judge added: "It is plain from the gravity of the offending before that only a very substantial custodial sentence is appropriate."
Bouglas has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period.
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