A former youth football coach who was jailed last week for sexually abusing seven young boys has died in prison.
William Lothian, 66, indecently assaulted the youngsters - aged between 11 and 14 - while coach of an Edinburgh boys' club.
Lothian was caged for 45 months and placed on the sex offenders register for life after being found guilty of the abuse following a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Chris Dickson said the predator had "exploited and grossly breached" his position of trust during the sentencing hearing at the city court last Tuesday.
It has now emerged Lothian, from the capital's Muirhouse, was found dead within HMP Edinburgh on Friday.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We were made aware of the sudden death of a 66-year-old man within HMP Edinburgh around 8am on Friday, 14 May, 2021.
"The death is being treated as unexplained but there are no apparent suspicious circumstances.
"A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course."
During the five day trial earlier this year the jury heard evidence from all seven victims, now all in their 30s, that Lothian had sexually abused them between on various occasions between 1997 and 2003.
The men told the jury there had been regular "inappropriate touching" during the weekly training sessions when the team practised at an Edinburgh school gym hall.
One man said the retired janitor would often "touch our private parts" and "sometimes put his finger up our bums in a joking manner".
He added the abuse became "a norm at training" and that Lothian "made it out to be fun, like a game".
Lothian also invited some of the footie squad to stay over at the home he shared with his parents when they were aged between 10 and 12.
He would then ply them with beer and spirits in his converted attic before sexually assaulting them.
One victim said: "We would then go down to his bedroom and lie on the floor. He would stick pornography on the TV and watch it.
"Bill would lie in the middle of us on the floor and he would rub our nipples. The alcohol made us feel tired.
"After watching the pornography he had his hands down my shorts. I was half asleep when he was doing this.
"He had his hands over our shoulders and he was touching my willy. He would play about with it and my testicles as well.
"We went to sleep and when we woke up it was as if nothing had happened."
The man said he blocked the abuse out at the time but "as the years have gone on it has had a big impact on me".
He added looking back it made him feel "horrible and disgusted" and he now feels "ashamed".
Another victim told the court he was abused during a stay at Lothian's home following a Player of the Year presentation night when he was around 13.
He said Lothian gave him alcohol to drink before climbing into bed and molesting him.
The man said: "I could feel his penis on my leg. His hand then travelled down towards my boxers.
"I shrugged him off and said 'What are you doing?' He said to me 'It's OK, don't worry.
"I jumped out of bed and I just lay on the floor with a pillow. It was freezing cold and I fell asleep."
The man added he woke a couple of hours later and "sneaked out of the house" and ran home while it was still dark.
Lothian was found guilty of 14 charges of indecent and sexual assault against the seven male victims at various locations between 1997 and 2003.
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