A SEX attacker who threatened one of his victims he would never see his family again if he told anyone has been jailed for eight years.

Stuart Madden, 41, from Surrey, was convicted last month of abusing two boys in Port Glasgow, Kilmacolm and Saltcoats between 1994 and 2001.

The court heard how the pervert abused one of his victims in a cubicle at Port Glasgow Swimming Baths and abused the other boy in a caravan in Saltcoats.

He also abused them at his home.

Madden had denied all the charges against him and claimed his victims had made up lies against him.

In her closing speech, prosecution lawyer Lynsey MacDonald told the jury: “This was a course of conduct which was systematically perverted.

“All the abuse took place when he was alone with his victims.

“He would take them fishing, cycling and swimming. He horrifically abused one of his victims and then bought him an ice cream.”

The court also heard that some of the abuse occurred in Madden’s home when his mother took the dog out for a walk.

One of the victims first disclosed the abuse after he received counselling following a road traffic accident.

He was aged between 11 and 17 when he was abused by Madden and said: “He used to buy me things and take me places.”

The court heard that Madden’s other victim had a sad childhood, having been abandoned by his mother in a cafe aged four.

He told the court that Madden began kissing him and then quickly progressed to raping him.

The victim, who was aged between 12 and 14, said he kept quiet about what happened to him until he finally blurted it out in 2001.

He told the court: “He said if I told anything what was happening I would never see my family again.

As Madden was convicted one of his victims shouted: “Yes!”

Sentence had been deferred for the court to obtain reports about Madden’s character. 

As Madden appeared in the dock at the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Graeme Buchanan QC told him that he had no other option but to send him to prison.