Paedophile who sexually abused five children jailed

A man who sexually abused young children has been jailed for eight years.

Michael Taylor from Aberdeen was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday.

The 71-year-old was found guilty of serious sexual assaults and indecent offences towards five children aged between six and 12 in Aberdeen between March and October 2020.

A full investigation was launched by a range of specialist detectives after the family of one of the victims reported Taylor to police in September.

Taylor was later arrested in connection with various sexual crimes ranging from possession of indecent images to rape, performing sexual acts and serious sexual assault. He pled guilty on Thursday, 25 February, 2021

Detective inspector Karen Main said: “Michael Taylor is a sexual predator who preyed on vulnerable young children, manipulated and abused them. He exploited these defenceless young children for his own sexual gratification.

“Despite the appalling ordeal he subjected these children to, they have had the immense courage to speak out about what happened to them and their information has been vital to investigating this case. I would like to thank them for their bravery and courage. Their information was crucial to ensure that Taylor is prevented from preying on other young children.

“My thoughts remain with the victims and their families. I sincerely hope that today’s sentencing can bring them some solace in that the person responsible for these despicable actions has been held to account and now they can move forward with their lives.

“We are resolutely committed to supporting victims of sexual crimes and bringing those responsible to justice. We would urge anyone who wishes to report any sexual crime or child protection concern to come forward. They can be assured of being fully supported by officers and our partner agencies.

“I would like to thank the team of officers who worked on this investigation for their dedication and commitment to this sensitive enquiry.”