Rapist Toby Deacon jailed for sex attacks on 14 and 16-year-old girls in Highlands

A sex offender who attacked and raped two teenage girls in the Highlands has been jailed for six years after claiming that the victims fabricated evidence.

Toby Deacon first struck when he was aged 15 in an assault committed against a 14-year-old schoolgirl at a house in Inverness on May 31 in 2016.

During the attack he restrained the teenager and removed her lower clothing before subjecting her to a rape.

Deacon was aged 19 when he attacked and raped a second victim in Inverness in October 2020 who was 16 years old at the time of the offence.

Deacon, now aged 22, formerly of St Andrews Walk, Fortrose, in the Highlands. had denied committing the crimes, but was found guilty after an earlier trial.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh heard that he continues to maintain his innocence of the offences.

Lord Clark said he had regard to a background report prepared on him in which it was noted he showed no remorse and blamed the victims for fabricating their evidence at his trial.

He said he took into account the guideline for sentencing young people but because of the nature and seriousness of the offences only a custodial disposal was appropriate.

Lord Clark said that if the crimes had been committed by an adult offender he would have imposed a sentence of eight years and six months imprisonment.

But the judge said Deacon had “some degree of immaturity” at the time of the offences, particularly the first crime when he was aged 15.

Deacon, who was assessed as posing a medium risk of further sexual offending, was told that he would be placed on the sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period.