Alastair Legge

A foster carer from Portsoy has been placed on the sex offenders register after being found guilty of indecent assaults on two teenage girls more than two decades ago. Alastair Legge, aged 52, was convicted at Aberdeen Sheriff Court of two counts of indecently assaulting the girls, who were 14 and 15 years old at the time of the offences in the early 2000s. The assaults occurred at an address in Macduff and within a car during journeys across Aberdeenshire.

During the trial, it emerged that Legge, who had fostered around 20 children, targeted the victims in positions of trust. One incident involved Legge visiting the home of the first girl in Macduff, where he indecently assaulted her by touching her leg, bottom, and breasts, while also making sexual and derogatory remarks. The second girl, a friend of the first victim, suffered similar assaults, with Legge touching her bottom and breasts and staring at her chest. These offences took place at various locations in the region, highlighting the predatory nature of his actions against vulnerable teenagers.

The court heard a harrowing victim impact statement from one of the now-adult victims, who described how Legge’s behaviour had 'blighted' her life. Sheriff Andrew Miller, in sentencing, emphasised the seriousness of the crimes, noting that Legge was a 'mature man' who preyed upon the girls, exploiting his position. 'These are very serious offences, especially given the age difference and how you had come to know one of the victims,' the sheriff stated. The victim further outlined the 'harrowing nature' of the offences in her statement supplied to the court.

Despite the offences reaching the custodial threshold, Legge avoided a prison sentence. His defence solicitor, Gregor Kelly, argued that while his client maintained his innocence, the matter was serious but Legge posed a low risk of reoffending. Kelly highlighted Legge's otherwise productive life, aside from this 'very large blip on his character,' and noted that he had ceased fostering. Sheriff Miller imposed a probation order, 250 hours of community service, and placed Legge on the sex offenders register for one year as an alternative to custody.

The case was heard at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, with the jury acquitting Legge on charges related to a third girl. This conviction underscores the long-term pursuit of justice for historical sexual offences, as reported by The Press and Journal on 8 May 2024.