Scottish pervert hiding in Thailand for 40 years extradited and jailed
In a landmark case for Scottish police, a pedophile who fled to Thailand has finally been jailed, decades after committing a series of horrifying sexual crimes against children.
The deviant Scotsman, 74 year old John Martin, was extradited from Bangkok to Scotland in December last year, facing justice at last for historical abuse offences uncovered by a painstaking investigation led by Police Scotland.
Martin, a former antiques dealer originally from Haddington, East Lothian, was found guilty of three charges of historical sexual abuse on October 25 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
His sickening campaign of abuse targeted two young girls across Perth and Kinross, Fife, and East Lothian between the 1980s and 1990s, leaving scars that would haunt them for life.
Sentenced to three years and three months in prison, Martin is now on the sex offenders register indefinitely and is banned from contacting his victims for the next 20 years. Lynne Barrie, procurator fiscal for Lothian and Borders, condemned his actions, calling him “a sexual predator who preyed on vulnerable young girls, inflicting significant trauma.”
Barrie praised the victims for their bravery:
“It is thanks to their strength and courage in coming forward and reporting the abuse that he has now been brought to justice.”
The intricate international collaboration to bring Martin back to the UK involved Police Scotland, the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Royal Thai Police’s Central Investigation Bureau, and the Thai Office of the Attorney General, reported STV News.
Duncan Burrage, NCA Liaison Officer for Thailand, stated, “This case highlights the NCA’s determination to track down and bring to justice British child sex offenders, wherever they are in the world.”
Sergeant Richard Robson of Police Scotland added, “My thoughts remain with the victims and their families. They have shown immense courage in reporting these crimes so that Martin can be held accountable for his actions.”
