Brian McCulloch, a 50-year-old man from Catrine, East Ayrshire, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for historic child sexual abuse involving five young girls.

McCulloch was convicted by a jury in December of 11 charges, spanning from 2005 to 2022. Despite denying the allegations, evidence presented at trial included recorded police interviews with the victims and live testimony from one woman who directly confronted McCulloch's denials.

The court heard harrowing accounts of abuse from several young girls, detailing instances of assault and manipulation by McCulloch. One victim described feeling coerced into silence due to his threats, while another recounted being assaulted in Ayr's former Odeon cinema during a Harry Potter film.

McCulloch maintained his innocence throughout the trial and sentencing, claiming he couldn't understand why these accusations were made against him. However, Sheriff Desmond Leslie acknowledged the seriousness of the offences and sentenced McCulloch to four years imprisonment, with three years served in custody followed by an additional year under community supervision.

Sheriff Leslie also imposed non-harassment orders prohibiting any contact between McCulloch and his victims for five years and placed him on the sex offenders register indefinitely.