A Perthshire paedophile has finally been sentenced for abusing two schoolgirls in his family store almost three decades after they reported his vile abuse.
Alexander Doig, 61, was reported to police in the 90s but stood trial this year accused of perverted conduct in the summer of 1995.
Doig, of Walnut Grove in Blairgowrie, was previously convicted by jurors at Dundee Sheriff Court of two charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices.
At his family’s eponymous clothing store in Highland Perthshire, he spent months carrying out a disturbing course of behaviour which the court heard still impacts his victims.
Doig was placed on the sex offenders register for five years but narrowly avoided imprisonment.
Guilt established
The jury found that on various occasions between May 1 and September 30 in 1995, Doig abused his victims at R Doig and Sons shop in Bank Street, Aberfeldy.
In his 30s, he targeted his first victim, who was aged 15, and exposed his penis and tried to induce her to allow him to perform a sex act in her presence.
Doig was found to have made sexualised comments and requested she wear certain clothing around him.
He removed his clothing and sunbathed naked and encouraged her to remove clothing.
Creep Doig also showed the girl a video of him performing a sex act, pinched her buttocks and gave her a pornographic video.
His second victim was only 13.
Doig requested she rub cream on his body and sunbathed partially clothed in her presence.
He made inappropriate and sexualised comments and provided her with a pornographic video.
Doig also exposed his penis, encouraged her to remove clothing and placed a sticker on her buttocks.
Doig’s victims cannot be named for legal reasons.
‘Very serious charges’
Sentencing had been deferred for background reports to be prepared.
He was sentenced to 300 hours unpaid work and placed on the sex offenders register for five years.
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith said he had planned to jail Doig for 18 months but changed his mind after hearing about the case’s procedural history.
He said: “For the court to consider an appropriate sentence, I have to have regard to the seriousness, I assess your culpability – your blameworthiness – and harm.
“This is not a case in which you were of a similar age – you were considerably older.
“You were in a position of trust… you are a well respected member of the community.
“You have managed to make a good life… these are very serious charges.”
The sheriff said that in victim impact statements, both complainers detailed the lasting impact of Doig’s offending.
“Considering all of the material, I have come to the decision which is contrary to the one in my mind before I came on the bench.
“I’m going to take an unusual step in reducing what would have been, for you and your family, a devastating sentence of imprisonment.
“You are a low risk of reoffending.”
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