A VICTIM of a Port paedophile who was sexually abused after the predator formed a relationship with her mum trapped him years after the attacks — by covertly recording him on her mobile.

Edward Tily carried out a series of attacks on the woman, some details of which are too disturbing to publish, when she was aged just 12 — whilst her mum was nearly 400 miles away in England.

Tily, 61, preyed on the girl in 2005 after driving her up from Bristol 'on the premise' of enrolling her in school following a decision by the mother to move to Scotland, Greenock Sheriff Court was told.

But he was finally exposed when his brave victim plucked up the courage to confront him about his crimes.

She secretly made a voice recording of their conversation in a pub 12 years after the abuse — during which Tily appeared to acknowledge what he'd done.

Tily, of Highholm Street, is today behind bars awaiting sentencing after a jury found him guilty of a catalogue of disgusting offences.

The victim, now 28, told the court how the pervert watched her shower before touching and abusing her private parts and instructing her to perform a sex act on him.

She said: "He moved his hand over my body, pretty much where he wanted to.

"On my back, my tummy, my chest frequently, and my legs.

"After that he kept his hands on my leg and touched between my legs."

Recalling one incident, the victim said: "I was terrified.

"I didn't want to be there but I had nowhere else to go because my mum hadn't moved up yet, and I knew no-one else.

"He made several comments, calling me beautiful and pretty."

The victim added that after one abuse incident Tily pulled his trousers up and opened a drawer, pointed to condoms and said, 'They are there for when you feel ready'.

She said: "I went downstairs and then he came down and it carried on like a normal day, as if nothing had happened."

Recalling the final sexual assault, the victim told how Tily again abused her while she was in a bath.

The court heard how the victim was aged six when Tily first befriended her mother at a single parents' group, before entering into a brief relationship with her.

They met up again after Tily had moved to Scotland, when the woman was going through a divorce.

The victim 'shouted out' everything that Tily had done to her in the presence of her mother and him, the court heard.

But she said she 'wasn't believed' at the time and the matter was only reported to the police after she made her secret recording in 2017.

Tily is clearly heard on the recording stating: "You were 13 when you moved up but we didn't do anything til you were 14."

The victim's mother told the court: "There was no evidence to support what she was telling me."

But after hearing the secret recording she took her daughter to the police to report the abuse.

Under cross examination from defence lawyer David Tod, the witness said: "It was not a case of not believing [before], I believed you'd need evidence, but obviously over the years I've been proved incorrect on that."

Tily told the jury that his victim had made up the allegations against him because she was 'furious' at not being included in a birthday meal out for his mother.

Under cross-examination from prosecutor Mark Nicol, Tily denied carrying out the abuse.

Quizzed by fiscal depute Mr Nicol about the audio recording, Tily said he was not referring to having sexually abused the victim.

He said his comment was about him buying Christmas and birthday gifts for the girl, and an occasion when he fell asleep on a sofa with her which he said 'infuriated' her mother.

Tily said: "It could be a variety of things, whether I'd bought her things or said that she could stay over."

Mr Nicol said: "These are not things that you would 'do' together."

Tily replied: "Yeah, it is, if she's with me when I buy it."

The jury found Tily guilty of abusing the girl on various occasions between August 1 and October 31 in 2005.

Sheriff Andrew McIntyre told him: "You have been found guilty of a very serious sexual offence against a child.

"In view of the serious abuse, and the plain risk to the public, you will be remanded in custody."

The sheriff later thanked the jury for their service and remarked that some of the evidence they had to listen to was 'particularly harrowing'.

Tily will be sentenced on July 6.