A former youth football coach has been jailed for six years and nine months after admitting a series of abuse crimes against teenage boys.
Jim McCafferty, 73, has been involved in football since the 1980s, working at Celtic , Hibernian and Falkirk. He previously lived in Glasgow before relocating to Northern Ireland in recent years.
At the High Court in Edinburgh today, McCafferty admitted 10 non-recent charges of indecent assault and one charge of lewd and libidinous behaviour, with crimes dating back to 1972.
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Police Scotland released a statement following the sentencing, calling the scale of the abuse ‘unprecedented’.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor said: “Between 1972 and 1996 James McCafferty sexually abused boys aged between 13 and 19, under the guise of football.
"These boys had a passion for the game, they had dreams and hopes. Rather than provide a place of safety for them to fulfil these dreams, he used football to prey upon them.
"The trust and respect they showed him was repaid by a complete and utter abuse of power. McCafferty exploited his position to satisfy his own sexual depravity."
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DCI Taylor went on to praise the courage of victims in coming forward and invited any more involved to do so.
She added: "James McCafferty has blighted the lives of so many people, both his victims and their families.
"As boys, his victims lived in fear but as adults they stood united, finding the courage and strength to speak out. They were listened to and without their testimony we would not be here today witnessing McCafferty’s long awaited admissions of guilt.
"I would like to pay my own personal gratitude to these men. The damage that McCafferty inflicted will never be forgotten, however, today hopefully starts the process of trying to resolve the past.
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"The scale of his abuse is unprecedented, and demonstrates the systematic and calculated methods he used to target his victims. Whether as a respected coach or an affable kitman, he used every opportunity available to perpetrate his callous abuse.
"While this investigation is concluded, we are aware that there may be people who have not felt able to report. I would urge you to do so. It does not matter when or where the abuse occurred, or who committed that abuse. We will listen and we will investigate.
"The sexual abuse of children is still happening across our communities and in a range of different settings. It is up to all of us to make sure that children across Scotland can follow their interests and hobbies without fear and free from the threat of harm."
