Paedophile who abused and raped children jailed for 13 years

A paedophile who carried out an “appalling” catalogue of abuse and rape against children has been jailed for 13 years.

Gary Dunn, 61, left one young girl feeling that she wanted to “suffocate and die” as he subjected her to a sexual assault.

A judge told Dunn: “Child sexual abuse is an abhorrent crime and will not be tolerated in our society.”

Lady Poole said Dunn had been convicted of “appalling offences” of sexual crime against his victims.

The judge said victims “had to endure many disgusting acts of depravity” carried out by Dunn for his gratification.

Dunn preyed on child victims over more than two decades at addresses in Moray and the rape of one victim in Aberdeen.

He had denied a series of charges during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, but was found guilty of three rape offences and three indecency crimes against girls.

Dunn, of Rothes, in Moray, began his sex crime spree in 1998 and continued until 2019 during which time he abused three girl victims.

Lady Poole said that victim impact statements provided to the court made “distressing reading”.

One woman who was molested and assaulted by Dunn as a child said that on one occasion she was subjected to a painful ordeal.

She said: “I had my head in between pillows and I was hoping I could suffocate and die, to be honest.”

The woman, now aged 32, thought that she was 13 or 14-years-old when Dunn perpetrated the abuse in the incident.

Advocate depute Peter Ferguson QC asked her how she felt afterwards, and she replied: “I felt sore. I felt numb. I just wanted it to stop.”

Dunn had previously preyed on the girl and told her to close her eyes during sex acts he performed on her.

His most recent abuse of a child occurred in 2018 and 2019 when he sexually assaulted a girl from the age of ten and simulated sex with her and raped her.

He had previously molested another girl between 2003 and 2006 when he touched her and simulated sex with her.

Dunn had appeared in the dock at his trial with the aid of two walking sticks and his defence counsel Bill Adam drew attention to his age and declining health.

Mr Adam told the court: “It is very difficult for him in prison given his conditions.”

Lady Poole ordered that Dunn should be kept under supervision for a further three year period. Dunn was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.