Pervert jailed for child sex crimes

Jun 26 2009

A RETIRED ambulance driver who sexually abused two young boys 40 years ago has been jailed for over three years.

One of the boys was only three when twisted John McTurk began molesting him in 1969. At the time he was supposed to have been taking the toddler fishing.

The other boy – his first victim’s brother – was five.

McTurk – who is now 67 – gained the trust of his victims’ parents when he lived in the village of Kirkmichael.

He then persuaded the mum and dad to let him take their three-year-old fishing with him on the banks of the River Girvan.

But that was a cover for his depraved behaviour towards the youngster.

On numerous occasions between September 1969 and September 1972 he forced the little boy to perform a sex act on him when they were beside the river.

He also showed the youngster pornographic magazines and sexually abused him.

On one occasion between April, 1970 – when his second victim was five – and April 1972, at an address in Kirkmichael, he placed his hand down the boy’s trousers and sexually assaulted him.

A jury at Ayr Sheriff Court found McTurk guilty of using lewd, libidinous and indecent practices towards his two young victims.

When McTurk appeared for sentence before Sheriff Colin Miller, his defence counsel, Lorenzo Alonso, said: “He suffers from very poor health and is on 30 different types of medication.”

He said that McTurk lives in sheltered accommodation in Cumbernauld.

Mr Alonso told the court that his client was a first offender and was assessed by the social work department as being a low to medium risk of reoffending.

He added: “It’s accepted that these are serious offences, being offences involving young children, but I would submit that they are at the lower end of the spectrum.

“Charge two was restricted to a single action and something which was over in seconds.”

Jailing McTurk for 40 months, Sheriff Colin Miller told him: “Charge two may have been transient, but charge one has taken place over three years – from 1969 to 1972 – when you repeatedly abused one of these boys, who was then very young.

“These offences are serious.

“For your own perverted desires you took advantage of the first victim on the pretence of taking him fishing – taking him to the banks of the river and indulging in gross practices.

“These two individuals have had to live with the knowledge of what you have done to them for a very long time.”

At the time he began abusing the brothers, McTurk – who was known to villagers by his middle name, Kerr – was 26.

One local said: “Kerr always seemed a bit of an oddball.

“He was a regular in the Kirkmichael Arms and would stare at you through his thick glasses when he was talking to you.

“He was an ambulance driver, and as such was a popular member of the community.

“Everyone was totally shocked when this came out in court.

“If folk had known at the time what he was up to, he would have been lynched.

“I’m glad the sheriff took the view that he did.”