Fife predator befriended family only to groom children and subject them to horrific sexual abuse
David Glass, 59, of Anstruther, abused three boys, aged between three and 11, and targeted one of them until just days before he died in a horror road accident
A PREDATOR who infiltrated a family at their time of need only to groom the children and subject them to horrific sexual abuse has been caged for five years.
David Glass's victims said they felt vindicated by the serial paedophile's sentence because many people in the East Neuk community had believed the "arrogant" businessman.
Glass's abused three boys aged between three and 11, he targeted one of them until just days before he died in a horror road accident.
A sheriff told Glass, who in 2014 was jailed for three-and-a-half years for virtually identical offences committed between 2004 and 2012, he was a "danger to children" and added: "Your offending had catastrophic consequences for your victims."
Speaking outside court, one of Glass's victims said: "I'm still shaking, even now, after having to give evidence.
"I'm glad he's been given a long sentence.
"He has caused us all kinds of problems."
A family member added: "He tried to make out in court that he was a businessman who was being targeted by the boys for money.
"This happened in a small community and he had people believing him, now they will know the truth.
"The boys were so brave to stand up and tell the jury what happened to them.
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"The jury believed them, they didn't believe Glass.
"When he gets out next time he won't be welcome back in the area.
"He has been exposed now.
"He was a very arrogant man, he believes he did nothing wrong."
A trial at Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Glass, 59, of Anstruther, befriended the parents of his victims when they were going through "personal difficulties".
He won their trust and confidence and used that to convince them to allow him to spend time alone with their children.
Then, over the course of almost two years in the late 1980s, he subjected two of his victims to repeated vile sex abuse at his caravan in East Neuk.
The abuse only stopped when one of the boys died in a horror tractor accident after falling from the vehicle and suffering a fatal head injury in the spring of 1989.
Then in the mid-90s, Glass targeted another boy, aged between nine and 11 at the time, forcing him to bathe with him and carrying out sex acts on him and abusing him while he slept.
In September 2014 Glass was convicted at Dunfermline Sheriff Court of a string of virtually identical offences committed in the same area over a eight year period from 2004 to 2012.
He was released from that sentence in early 2016 but now faces several years more behind bars.
Glass denied five charges on indictment of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour committed between August 1987 and April 15 1989 on two of his victims and between July 1994 and August 1996 on a third.
One charge was withdrawn after a sheriff ruled there was no case to answer, but a jury found him guilty of the other four charges.
Defence solicitor Simon Collins said: "He denied the offences at trial and he maintains that denial now."
Sheriff Tom Hughes jailed Glass for five years and made him subject to one year's extended licence upon his release.
Glass was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.
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The sheriff said: "You groomed them, purchased them gifts and won their confidence and carefully manipulated them into a situation where you could carry out this criminal conduct.
"Conduct no child should ever have to endure.
"You take no responsibility whatsoever and you blame others for the position you find yourself in.
"Based on the evidence before me there is no merit in your denials.
"In my view you are a danger to children.
"You must be told in clear terms that your offending has had a catastrophic effect on your victims in this case. You are responsible for all of that.
"They gave evidence and they were believed - you were not."
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