80 year-old pensioner faces jail time for soliciting sex from teenage boys

An old pensioner is standing trial for propositioning several teenage boys with sexual demands in Hamilton. John Gibb, 80, reportedly offered £10 to a 16-year-old before asking if he would like to have sex with him.

He is also accused of grabbing his crotch in a later incident in front of another youngster. A third victim said Gibb had asked him if he would perform a sex act on him just days earlier.

Gibb was caught on CCTV propositioning one boy outside a jeweller's on a busy shopping area in Motherwell and seen close to where another incident took place.

He is alleged to have told the boys he was ‘lonely’.

Police were called in after one victim saw him talking to other children who had just finished school and were heading home.

Guilty!

The three victims who came forward identified Gibb when shown his photo by police during their investigation.

Gibb pleaded not guilty with his lawyer claiming he had done nothing other than speak to the boys.

But Sheriff Anthony Deutsch found him guilty of two charges of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of two boys and directing sexual communication at a third between August and September 2019.

Horrifying accounts

One boy told depute fiscal Rebecca Clark he was left feeling 'sick' after Gibb tried to hand him cash for sex while wearing his school uniform at a bus stop.

I was on my phone and saw a man approach me and ask if I was ok. He went into his bag and was then trying to give me £10 but I didn't know him so said no thank you and he went away. The man approached me again and the next thing he was talking about sex asking if I wanted to have sex with him and I thought that was related to trying to give me the £10. I felt sick to my stomach. I care for my nana and it made me feel so uncomfortable I couldn't even face her after it.

The second boy Gibb targeted said he was standing outside a jewellers when the pensioner approached.

The man was talking about being lonely and at that point he then grabbed his crotch and did it for about 10 seconds and it was like he was pleasuring himself. I was really in shock and didn't know how to deal with the situation. It was 100 percent sexual. I decided to phone the police because I had seen much younger children in school uniform also speaking to him.

Sheriff Deutsch deferred sentence on Gibb until next month for reports and continued bail.

Gibb has since been placed on the sex offenders' register.