Sex offender jailed for six years

Millbank was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh

A paedophile convicted of child abuse offences involving young girls across Scotland has been sentenced to six years in jail.

At a hearing last month, Joseph Millbank, 41, admitted a catalogue of crimes against youngsters.

The judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told Millbank, of Luncarty, Perthshire, that his conduct had been disgusting and perverted.

But parents of the victims have condemned the sentence as too lenient.

Your conduct was plainly disgusting, perverted and deliberate

Lord McCluskey

The court heard how Millbank had preyed on young girls for more than 10 years while he travelled round Scotland working as a shopfitter.

The police know of incidents involving 35 girls, but believe there may have been other victims who have yet to be traced.

The investigation, which covered five force areas, was one of the biggest paedophile inquiries ever carried out in Scotland.

'Immeasurable harm'

Millbank was eventually caught after fingerprints left at the scene of one of the crimes in Inverness were identified as his.

On Thursday the judge, Lord McCluskey, told Millbank that his sentence had to reflect society's outrage at such persistent and wicked conduct.

Lord McCluskey said: "It is notorious that there are long-term effects on many children who find it difficult to cope with the sense of guilt and betrayal following being abused in this fashion.

"Your conduct was plainly disgusting, perverted and deliberate.

Parents of the victims condemned the sentence

"It has done immeasurable harm to some of the victims and untold harm to the rest."

Millbank will be on licence for a further 10 years after his release from prison.

But parents of the victims who were in court expressed anger at the "short" sentence.

One said: "It is really terrible that he only got six years and he will probably be out in three years.

"For all the kids that he has done this to is ridiculous, because the kids are never going to forget that."

Another parent said: "He doesn't deserved to get out. It's proven that they do it again. He is not going to stop and when he gets out it is going to be worse.

"It could be someone's kid dead the next time."