A CARER from Gourock has been jailed for nine years for subjecting teenage girls to a catalogue of sexual abuse and rape three decades ago.

Evil Ewen McIntosh, 55, carried out sex acts on one victim when she was aged 13 and 14 and twice raped a second underage teenager.

He was sentenced during a hearing held at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday having been found guilty at trial.

Judge Lord Kinclaven told McIntosh: "There is no alternative to a significant custodial sentence.

"No other method of dealing with you is appropriate.

"You have been found guilty by the verdict of the jury on May 2 this year of serious sexual offences against two young females."

The judge said he had read a victim impact statement from one woman outlining the emotional toll the offending had taken on her.

McIntosh, formerly of Royal Street, had denied committing the offences between 1983 and 1988 at his trial but was convicted of the two charges of rape and two of indecent behaviour that he faced.

The court heard that he continued to deny perpetrating the abuse and rape of the victims.

Lord Kinclaven said he bore in mind the age of the charges against McIntosh and that there has been no further sexual offending for 31 years.

The judge said he noted that McIntosh understood 'the significant impact' of such offending and was willing to take part in programmes during time in jail and beyond that.

McIntosh targeted his first victim from 1983 when she was aged 13 and got her to perform a sex act on him and grabbed her by the head and carried out a further sex act on her.

He also put pressure on the girl's neck until she lost consciousness and touched her breasts and privates.

The offending occurred at Parklea playing fields and car park at Greenock Road in Port Glasgow and on the Esplanade in Greenock.

His second victim was also 13 when the abuse against her began.

He repeatedly touched her leg and carried out a sex act at an address in Greenock and in a car journey between Gourock and Ayrshire.

McIntosh also raped her on a car trip and at a house in Greenock.

During the second rape attack he made the girl wear a bra he provided.

Defence counsel Jennifer Bain said a background report prepared on McIntosh did not say much in his favour.

She told the court: "Albeit he maintains his denial, he accepts he has been found guilty of terrible and serious crimes."

She said that McIntosh was assessed as posing a low risk of further general offending, but a moderate risk of future sex offending.

The defence counsel said that McIntosh has always had, or sought, work and became a carer for his son.

She asked the judge to take into account his 'relatively crime free' life since the offences were committed in the 1980s.

McIntosh has been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register.