Serial rapist preyed on women and children for more than three decades

A serial rapist who carried out a campaign of sexual abuse and violence against women and children could face a life sentence.

Peter Jack was aged just 12 when he began preying on victims as he perpetrated crimes that continued for more than three decades.

Jack, 52, molested, sexually attacked, raped and assaulted those he targeted during a crime spree at addresses in Methil, Buckhaven, Kennoway, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes in Fife.

He denied a series of charges during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh but was convicted of 25 crimes committed between 1985 and 2018 on Monday.

A judge told him: “These are offences of the greatest seriousness. They involve multiple charges of rape, including rape of children.”

Lady Ross said: “This is offending that has taken place over a lengthy period.”

The judge told jurors at the end of the trial: “These are horrible crimes, especially when children are involved.”

She said it was a matter of “deep concern” that Jack was previously jailed in 2011 for similar types of offencing.

On that occasion the former council worker was jailed for nine years for sexually abusing four young girls between 1991 and 2003 at addresses in Fife.

In the latest prosecution he was found guilty of committing sexual and violent crimes against 15 victims.

His first victim in the current prosecution was aged seven when he began molesting the girl in Kennoway. Another girl was abused by him at an even younger age before he went on to rape her when she was aged six or seven.

Another underage girl was repeatedly raped by Jack when she was 13 and 14 and was forced to carry out sex acts on him. She was also slapped on the head, grabbed by the body and had a glass bottle thrown at her.

An adult woman was also attacked by him and punched and grabbed during assaults in the 1990s.

One woman was raped by him when she fell asleep at a house in Buckhaven and another was pulled to the ground and raped during an attack in Methil.

Jack also handed out beatings to children with one boy being hit on the body with a belt and a girl being struck with a slipper, belt and his hand.

One victim of sexual abuse said that on visits to his home they would watch films and said: “Then gradually he started touching me and sexually assaulting me. It happened twice.”

She said: “He had said ‘don’t tell anybody’, so I didn’t tell anybody. I definitely did not agree to what happened.”

The Crown made a motion for the trial judge to make a risk assessment order which can lead to the imposition of an Order for Lifelong Restriction.

Lady Ross continued consideration of the motion and adjourned sentence for the preparation of a background report on Jack, who is in custody. He was placed on the sex offenders’ register.