A former minibus driver has been given a life sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh after grooming a schoolgirl for sex and repeatedly raping her.  

David Swan, 43, picked up the ten-year-old child during a school run as she waited at a bus stop with her mother to go to primary school.  

He began to give the girl a lift to school regularly and started to give her presents and became friendly with her mother.

He began abusing the youngster in July 2003, giving her alcohol and then raping her. The abuse at houses in West Lothian continued for almost two years .  

After the abuse came to light, police searched a house in Forres in Morayshire, where Swan was then living, and found a cache of child  porn on a computer.  

The court heard that the collection featured the abuse of children many of whom were estimated to be aged six and under. 

Swan, formerly of Huntly in Aberdeenshire, earlier admitted  raping the girl at houses in Livingston and Armadale, in West Lothian, and at a caravan park in Ullapool and possessing the child pornography.

The Judge Lord Menzies told Swan that he was satisfied that the risk standards for imposing  an Order for Lifelong Restriction - reserved for serious sex and violence  crimes - on him were met.

He told him: "It means you may mean you will remain in custody  for the rest of your life."  

The judge said any decision to free him in future would be taken by the Parole Board who would have to consider if it was safe to release him.  

He ordered that Swan must serve eight years in prison before he can even apply for parole.