Teenager convicted of sex attacks

A jury at the High Court in Kilmarnock found the youth guilty

A 16-year-old has been found guilty at the High Court of sex attacks on three teenage girls in Ayrshire.

The youth, who cannot be named, raped an 18-year-old, sexually assaulted a 14-year-old and attempted to rape another 18-year-old woman.

All the attacks happened in Dreghorn between July 2005 and January 2006.

The youth knew all the victims and was arrested after he handed himself in at a police station. Sentence was deferred for background reports.

Walk home

The 18-year-old rape victim, who had attended a wedding, stopped to speak to the boy after recognising him in the street.

He took her behind a social work office in Dreghorn's Main Street where he pinned her to the ground and stripped her after she passed out.

She woke up to find him raping her.

He was also convicted of holding a 14-year-old girl against her will, pushing her against a wall and sexually assaulting her after offering to walk her home.

Radio report

And he pulled another 18-year-old victim into an alleyway, stripped her and repeatedly tried to rape her while on bail in January.

The youth walked into Irvine police office with his mother after hearing a radio report about one of the attacks.

He claimed he had had sex but was not a rapist.

He was arrested and charged after forensic evidence linked him to the attacks.

He denied the offences but was convicted on majority verdicts after a trial at the High Court in Kilmarnock.