Victims praised for bravery after pensioner jailed for sex attacks

A 72-year-old man has been jailed for sexually abusing young girls.

Arthur Kelly attacked his victims in the Stirling area between 1981 and 2014.

On Wednesday, he was jailed for four-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to a number of charges at the city’s sheriff court, including sexual assault, indecent assault and using lewd and libidinous behaviour.

Police Scotland praised the bravery of Kelly’s victims in coming forward.

Detective inspector Craig Faulds, of the Public Protection Unit, said: “Kelly’s victims have shown an enormous amount of courage in reporting these crimes to the police and as a result Kelly will face the consequences of his despicable actions.

“I would like to pay tribute to the strength shown by the victims and sincerely hope that they receive some comfort from [the] sentencing.

“Police Scotland are committed to enforcing and eradicating all types of gender-based violence which has no place in our society.

“I hope that the bravery shown by these victims and the sentence of Kelly will encourage others who have suffered sexual abuse to come forward, no matter the length of time that has passed.

“Be assured that we will thoroughly investigate all reports of sexual offences to bring perpetrators to justice.”