Man who raped and sexually assaulted young victim twice jailed for more than ten years

A child rapist who returned to attack his victim years after he first subjected her to abuse has been jailed for ten and a half years.

Jamie MacArthur first preyed on the girl when she was aged nine or ten, and assaulted and raped her at a flat in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow on an occasion between October 2018 and October 2020.

McArthur, 37, struck again in November 2024 when he sexually assaulted and raped the victim at an address in Forfar, in Angus, after she turned 15.

A judge told the rapist at the High Court in Edinburgh: “Shockingly, although she disclosed the first offence to her mother, it seems nothing was done about it.”

After the second attack, the girl spoke to a guidance teacher at school and police were contacted.

Judge Norman McFadyen KC told MacArthur: “Your behaviour has, not surprisingly, had significant and lasting impact on your victim.”

The judge said: “These were offences of the gravest kind.” He said it was “troubling” that MacArthur has very little insight into the impact of his behaviour.

He ordered that MacArthur should be supervised in the community for a further three and a half years when he will be on licence and can be returned to jail if he breaches it.

MacArthur, a former dishwasher and delivery man, earlier admitted the two crimes of rape committed against the child.

Defence counsel Jonathan Crowe said MacArthur had an unhappy and unfortunate childhood and was brought up in chaotic circumstances.

He said that although MacArthur has a criminal record there were no previous convictions for sex offences.

Mr Crowe said MacArthur instructed him to offer a public apology for what he did to the victim and that he pleaded guilty to spare the necessity of a trial in the case.

He said the rapist previously took cocaine and crack cocaine. He said: “At the time of these offences he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs and was not thinking as clearly and rationally as he now can.”

The defence counsel said he has completely abstained from substance abuse since he was remanded in custody last year.

“He tells me he is determined not to return to a chaotic lifestyle post release,” he said.

MacArthur was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and the judge made a non harassment order banning him from contacting or attempting to contact the victim.