A SEX BEAST who raped a teenage babysitter and indecently assaulted a woman the same age as him has been jailed.

Ian Cowan, 65, of Douglas Drive, Dunfermline, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Livingston to three serious sexual offences.

The widower admitted raping the babysitter in the bathroom of his then home in Linlithgow, West Lothian, on October 2, 1992.

He also admitted two charges of indecently assaulting the older woman by repeatedly forcing her to have anal and oral sex with him against her wishes over a six-year period nearly 25 years ago.

He had previously served nine years in prison for attempting to rape two young girls in his care.

Judge Lord Burns sentenced him to six years and three months in prison for the latest crimes. 

The judge discounted the sentence from seven years because the father-of-two’s guilty pleas – offered on the morning he was due to stand trial – had avoided his victims having to give evidence against him.

The Crown accepted not guilty pleas to a further seven historic charges, alleging rape, child sexual abuse, assaults and threatening behaviour with a shotgun.

Passing sentence, Lord Burns told Cowan: “You have pleaded guilty to the indecent assault of (the woman) over a six-year period during which you subjected her to a course of degrading sexual abuse which not only caused her physical pain and harm but also distress. She continues to suffer from the effects of that to this day.

“You also pleaded guilty to the rape of a young girl who was babysitting in your house and who you proceeded to abuse callously in your house. You have an analogous conviction for the attempted rape of two girls.

“I have full regard to the age that you now are and, importantly, to the fact that the most recent offences here occurred some 24 years ago, and you have not offended since. I also have regard to the health issues from which you suffer. 

“You don’t appear to pose a risk to the public but this sort of sexual offending must be dealt with by significant sentences of imprisonment. The sentence I impose is a cumulo sentence of six years and three months. 

“You will remain on the sexual offences register indefinitely. That sentence will start today.”

Cowan showed no emotion as he was led away to the cells but one of his victims, who was in court to see him being sentenced, quietly wept and was comforted by her family.

Following Cowan’s fresh admissions yesterday (Tuesday), advocate depute Margaret Barrow revealed that he had been convicted in January 1998 of the attempted rape of two young girls and sentenced to nine years in prison.

One of the girls was aged between six and 10 and the other between nine and 14 at the time Cowan abused them more than 30 years ago.

She said the older woman sexually assaulted by Cowan told him she was feeling too tired and exhausted for sex because she had just given birth to a baby, which cried a lot.

After a night out, he tried to have anal sex with her but she refused, repeatedly pushed him away and told him to get away from her.

Despite this, he did not stop and caused her pain and bleeding at which she pulled away and went “crazy at him” for what he had done.

Cowan’s abuse continued with him forcing her to perform oral sex on him, grabbing her head and forcing it down so she couldn’t pull her head away.

She did not report any of the matters to police until 2007 when there was no prosecution because of a lack of evidence. She gave another statement to police in 2015.

She stated that she was still “angry and embarrassed” at what she suffered at Cowan’s hands and claimed he had “ruined her life”.

Cowan, who worked as a full-time refuse collection HGV driver for Stirling Council until his retirement, gave a ‘no comment’ interview when police spoke to him.

Ms Barrow said the babysitter was alone in Cowan’s house and running a bath for the two young children she was caring for when the accused came into the bathroom behind her and locked the door.

The advocate depute said: “The accused then grabbed her by the neck.

“He was positioned behind her and then pulled up her skirt and (raped her) from behind. The complainer was too scared to do or say anything.”

After he had finished, she said the teenager unlocked the door, grabbed her jacket from the living room and ran out of the house. She never went back.

She didn’t disclose what Cowan had done until around two years later when she told her partner. She finally reported the rape to police in December last year.

The woman, who has since moved to England, told police that after the incident she did not like to have anything around her neck, like polo neck jumpers for example.

She believed the rape had an effect on her sexual relationship with her husband, which she felt may have contributed to the break-up of her marriage.

John Keenan, defending, said Cowan had lived on his own in Dunfermline since the death of his third wife in 2015.

He revealed that the accused had recently undergone surgery to treat three “potentially life-threatening” aneurisms and would remain on medication for the long term.

He said: “There is not a great deal I can say by way of mitigation. My understanding is that these were offences committed usually after nights out and usually when he was under the influence of alcohol, although that is no excuse.  

“He has accepted responsibility and he feels ashamed by his conduct.”

Mr Keenan said the babysitter rape had also occurred after Cowan had been on a night out.

“Again, he is extremely ashamed by his behaviour. Mercifully, it would seem it was a short-lived incident. 

“There was no significant violence causing injury but it was nevertheless extremely serious.”

He said Cowan had stopped drinking completely since the death of his wife in 2015 and had committed no further offences.

Outside court, the woman who was the victim of Cowan’s sordid behaviour for more than five years, spoke of her relief that he had been taken off the streets.

Surrounded by her family, she said: “We’re happy with the outcome. It’s a brilliant result and it couldn’t have gone any better. 

“We’ve been in suspense for so long waiting for this day. Now we’re off to start trying to piece our life back together and start living again without this hanging over us.”