West Fife sex offender said three-year-old’s memory of abuse would 'fade away'

Richard Morgan told social workers that the girl’s memory of the repeated abuse would “fade away”.

That attitude was blasted as “nothing short of an obscenity” by a sheriff.
Morgan, 30, of Dunimarle Street, High Valleyfield, was today (Friday) jailed for three years and four months at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He previously admitted that on various occasions between January 1, 2016, and May 7 last year at an address in North Queensferry, he sexually assaulted the child.

Depute fiscal Susan Lumsden previously told the court that concerns were raised initially after comments made by the girl.

Forensic tests found Morgan’s semen on the child’s underwear, the depute added.

When police interviewed him, Morgan could give no explanation for the semen being there. When cautioned and charged, he made no reply.

Defence advocate Grant Markie said: “The social work report comments on the remorse and regret expressed by Mr Morgan for his conduct.

“He attempted to take his own life in August shortly after he appeared on petition in this court.

“The picture emerging from the report appears to be of a 30-year-old man who lived a fairly isolated existence. He had a very limited social circle.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair told Morgan: “You completely abused the trust put in you.

"The report suggests you show remorse and that may be so but it does not seem to me you recognise the full harm caused by your offending.

“You told social work that you thought that at her age it would fade away. That was a quite horrific notion that you thought at her age it would not have a lasting impact. It is nothing short of an obscenity.”

The sheriff jailed Morgan for 40 months. He also imposed a 10-year sexual offences prevention order.

The sheriff said this was required because Morgan posed a “real risk” of re-offending.

Morgan has also been placed on the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period.