Prolific sex offender abused four boys over 19 year period

A prolific child sex offender who abused four young boys over almost 20 years has been jailed.

Peter McCormick, 66, admitted being engaged in lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards the children between June 1978 and December 1997.

The former slaughterhouse worker, of Dunfermline, Fife, was sentenced to five years in prison at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday.

Judge Douglas Brown said the jail-term would have been six and a half years, but for the guilty pleas.

He told McCormick: “You plainly groomed the boys to sexually abuse them.

“The impact of this can last a lifetime. Three of the victims have submitted statements describing how your behaviour has significantly affected them and continues to in many aspects of their lives.”

The crimes began in 1978 and continued until the mid-1990s.

His first victim recalled that in 1978, he and his friends had gone to McCormick’s home in Stirling where they were given cannabis and alcohol by the then 20-year-old.

Regarding the first boy, prosecutor BJ Gill KC told the court: “He was 12 at the time. McCormick was 20.

“He remembers it as a time Scotland were in the World Cup and Ally MacLeod was manager.

“That would have been the tournament in 1978.”

After falling asleep on the offender’s bed, the boy woke up to find McCormick abusing him.

McCormick invited his second victim for a sleepover at his home in the summer of 1978.

The accused gave the child cigarettes and alcohol. The boy later woke up to find McCormick sexually abusing him.

In 1979, McCormick abused his third victim. He supplied the child with alcohol and encouraged him to keep drinking.

The boy woke up in the middle of the night to find the accused abusing him.

Between 1994 and 1997, McCormick targeted a fourth boy. The victim recalled the abuser being nice to him and buying him sweets.

McCormick began asking the boy questions of a sexual nature and showing him pornography. He then began sexually abusing the child.

The abuse, which happened at McCormack’s home and in various other locations, continued for a further two years.

Decades later one victim took to social media to describe how he had suffered.

He had reported McCormick to police years earlier, but there were no charges brought at that time.

The three other victims then came forward leading to the abuser being caught in 2023.

His lawyer Rosalyn McTaggart told the court: “There is nothing that he can say that can mitigate the offences. The guilt haunts him.”

McCormick will also be on the sex offenders list indefinitely.

Detective constable Ian Philip, of the Forth Valley Public Protection Unit, said: “This was a complex and disturbing case and it is right that McCormick now has to face the consequences of his disgraceful actions.

“My thoughts remain with the victims and their families. This conviction is a direct result of them coming forward. They have shown immense courage in reporting these crimes so that McCormick can been held accountable for his actions. I hope that his conviction gives them some comfort and they can try and move forward with their lives.

“Police Scotland is wholly committed to tackling all cases of child abuse, regardless of when the crimes occurred, and we will continue to work alongside our partners to support any victims and ensure offenders are brought to justice. I would encourage anyone who has been impacted by this type of crime to report it.”