Man who abused and raped young girls jailed and banned from every coming back to Falkirk

George Conway, now 69, was jailed for ten years on Friday at the High Court in Stirling.

Conway, who suffers from diabetes and COPD, was told by a judge that the only reason he was not jailing him for life was because he didn't expect him to live long enough for it to matter. Just in case he does, he added an order banning him from entering Falkirk and Easterhouse in Glasgow, where much of the abuse took place, ever again.

A court heard that Conway abused three young girls aged between five and 11 – raping one of them – over a 10 year period between 1985 and 1995, when he was a man of 30 to 40.

The girl, then aged 10 or 11, was raped by him before he stifled her screams as she was raped by another man as Conway watched.

Conway, who had befriended her family to get close to her, also carried out horrific attacks on the girl with a tree branch and a bath toy.

He raped and and abused her on various occasions between 1987 and 1991 in Glasgow and Falkirk in houses, on a bus, in woods, and several times on a train.

After he abused her for the first time, he terrified her into silence by telling her that "men in a van" would take her away if she revealed what happened to her.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell said: "Conway pointed to a white van – he warned the males inside worked for him and that, if she ever told anyone about what happened, they would take her away. The girl believed him and was afraid if she were to disclose the abuse."

He also gave her money to buy her silence.

Conway had earlier molested her older sister and Mr Farrell said Conway also handed this victim cash.

The final girl was preyed upon by Conway when he was acting as her babysitter at a house in Falkirk. She pretended to be asleep hoping Conway would leave her alone, but he made her carry out a sex act on him.

Conway evaded justice for decades until finally first appearing in the dock for the attacks in May 2022.

He had been living in Stenhousemuir but by then had moved to a care home in Plean.

He appeared for sentence by video link at the High Court in Stirling today (Friday) after pleading guilty at a hearing in Glasgow last month to two charges of using lewd and libidinous behaviour towards young girls and one of rape.

The court heard he already had child sex convictions from 1994, for abusing boys, and from 2005 for taking photos of schoolgirls.

A report said he had "an entrenched sexual interest in children".

Conway confided to social workers that he would "isolate his victims before using rewards and coercive threats to get what he wanted".

His advocate, Alistair Sloan, said: "This is a case in which there is very little that can be said in mitigation."

Imposing the ten year jail term, judge Lord Young told him: "Your offending included rape, sexual assaults which would now be classified as rape and penetration with implements. You were in a position of trust in respect of all three victims.

"You befriended the family of your first victims, which gave you access to those young girls. You acted as a babysitter for the third.

"You used a threats and bribes to stop your principal victim from opening up to others about what you were doing to her. You took her to a house where you allowed another man to rape her and abuse her while you put your hand over her mouth to stifle her screams." One of Conway's victims said he had "taken away both her childhood and her adulthood". Another of his victims said he had "ruined her life".

Lord Young said: "These are heartbreaking effects, brought about by your depravity."

He added that he saw no need to impose an order for lifelong restriction, which would entail delay and further assessment.

He told Conway: "You're an elderly man in poor health. There must be a realistic chance that you'll not live long enough to be freed from custody.

"Your age and health are such I'm doubtful an order for lifelong restriction would provide any additional protection.

"I also consider your victims may benefit from seeing you sentenced today, rather than waiting for the long-drawn-out process for the risk assessment hearings to be completed."

Conway showed no emotion as sentence was passed.

In addition to the jail term, he was placed on the sex offenders register for life, and made the subject of indefinite non-harassment orders preventing him from contacting his victims or entering Falkirk or Easterhouse ever again.