A TWISTED pervert who subjected two girls to 12 years of sickening sexual abuse is facing prison.

James McGaughie, 39, was unaminously convicted yesterday by a jury of five charges of lewd, libidinous and indecent practices towards the girls.

Sheriff John Herald told the Gourock man the sickening offences were among the worst he had ever witnessed during his time at Greenock Sheriff Court.

He told McGauchie: 'I have sat on this bench for 16 years and I thought I had seen and heard almost everything.

'But details of the offences before this jury from both of these girls, over four days of evidence, is probably the most disturbing and disgusting I have ever heard in this court.

'You have never been in trouble before so I am duty bound to get background reports on you before passing sentence. Depending on what these contain, I may ask for psychiatric reports, but let me make it quite clear the likelihood is you are going to prison.' McGauchie, of Shore Street, was immediately placed on the Sex Offenders" Register after the jury found him guilty of five charges of indecent practices by soiling himself in front of both girls at addresses in Greenock and Gourock between 1987 and 1999.

They found him not guilty of another lewd and libidinous charge involving two other underage girls. Three other sexual abuse charges and another of attempting to pervert the course of justice were previously dropped by the Crown.

A four-day trial heard evidence from both victims detailing how McGauchie would soil himself before crawling around the floor wearing just his underpants before saying things like "I"ve done it again" or "don"t tell mummy" in a child"s voice.

McGaughie claimed the girls made up the allegations as part of attempts to blackmail him but his claims were discounted by the jury when they convicted him yesterday afternoon.

McGauchie was released on bail and will appear again later this month for sentencing.