A ‘monstrous’ man who repeatedly raped a young girl and tried to buy her silence with gifts has been jailed for 11 years.
Allan Higgins, 52, preyed on the 12-year-old girl at a house in East Ayrshire, between June and December 2023.
A high court judge heard how Higgins also told her not to disclose her abuse ordeal to anyone as “she would go away for a really long time.”
Prosecutor Lorraine Glancy KC told Lord Cubie that the girl managed to tell police about how she had been abused.
Her account was crucial in bringing Higgins to justice. He pleaded guilty to rape at a hearing earlier this year at the High Court in Glasgow.
On Wednesday, Higgins appeared via video link from prison to hear Lord Cubie at the High Court in Edinburgh tell him that he was going to serve a lengthy jail term.
Passing sentence, Lord Cubie said: “The complainer was 12. As a consequence of your offending she suffers from severe panic attacks.
“The impact of your offending will have life long consequences on her.
“This type of offending is monstrous. Only a custodial sentence can truly punish you and reflect society’s revulsion of this type of offending.”
Higgins had been remanded in custody after pleading guilty to repeatedly raping the girl.
HIggins started abusing the girl in June 2023 as she watched television.
The court heard the abuse would eventually become “a daily occurrence”.
The girl also described being repeatedly raped by Higgins and that it was “painful.”
Ms Glancy said: “The girl indicated that Higgins would buy her things to prevent her telling anyone but would not send inappropriate messages as he was fearful she would show people.
“She explained that in the last few months before she disclosed his offending, it stopped being every day and became every so often, but when he did sexually abuse her it would be multiple times a day.”
The girl disclosed what happened to her to an adult on December 31 2023 – a day after Higgins had sexually assaulted and raped her three times.
Ms Glancy also said that since the incident, there has been a “significant impact” upon her due to Higgins’ offending.
She suffers from extreme anxiety, panic attacks and clings onto family members whenever she can.
The girl is also “terrified” to go outside in case Higgins is there.
On Wednesday, Higgins was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
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