Melrose paedophile Andrew George Miller who abducted and abused girl for 27 hours jailed

A paedophile dressed as a woman who abducted a young girl while she was walking home before sexually abusing her has been jailed for 20 years.

Andrew George Miller, who also uses the name Amy George, pled guilty to abducting and repeatedly abusing the primary school-aged child over a period of more than 24 hours.

The 53-year-old butcher from Melrose, in the Scottish Borders, also admitted possessing 242 indecent photographs of children and watching pornography in the presence of the child under 13 at the High Court in Edinburgh in May.

Miller was given an extended sentence of 28 years, with 20 in custody and eight under supervision.

Sentencing him on Wednesday, judge Lord Arthurson said Miller’s crime was “frankly nauseating in its level of depravity”.

Miller’s defence agent Victoria Dow KC told the court: “He recognises the horror of his conduct and in a very acute way feels a considerable sense of shame, not only for himself but also for those in his life who will no doubt be impacted by his conduct.”

Andrew George Miller arriving at Selkirk Sheriff Court. Dave Johnston

She said his offending was due to a “collapse of protective factors in his life”, leading to a “loss of self control”, an increasing use of pornography and increased reliance on alcohol.

Previously, the court heard Miller was transitioning into a woman but has been held in the male prison estate following a row over the jailing of transgender rapist Isla Bryson who was sent to a female prison in February.

On Sunday, February 5, Miller, while dressed as a woman, offered the child – whom he had never seen before – a lift.

He took the girl back to his house and subjected her to repeated attacks, which a judge described as “every parent’s worst nightmare”.

Lord Arthurson described the offences as “abhorrent crimes” of the utmost “deviance and depravity”.

The child was locked in Miller’s home for 27 hours, during which time she was repeatedly touched, and also forced to watch pornography.

She dialled 999 while Miller was asleep.

She found the landline phone and called police, saying she had been touched inappropriately, the court heard.

Police arrived at the property and arrested Miller at around 9.35pm on Monday, February 6.

Miller, who had run a butcher’s shop, claimed he offered the girl a lift “because she was freezing”, and claimed forcing her to sleep in the bed with him “was a motherly thing”.

After his arrest, three laptops were seized from his property and a total of 242 indecent images of children were found.