Fife athletics coach guilty of sex offences against teenage girls - BBC News
Former athletics coach Eric Simpson, 73, targeted teenage girls in Fife between 1981 and 1999.
A former athletics coach has been convicted of rape and serious sexual offences against teenage girls in Fife.

Eric Simpson raped one girl and subjected four other victims to indecent assaults and lewd behaviour between 1981 and 1999.

The 73-year-old from Kirkcaldy had denied the offences but was found guilty of seven charges at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Judge Lord Arthurson told him to expect a "very substantial" prison term.

His youngest victim was just 13 years old.

He told her to undress and molested her while massaging her with baby oil. She said: "I was frozen. I was too scared to do anything."

Another woman told the court that she heard Simpson saying it was very difficult working with young girls when they all fancied him.

She was also molested by him during massages, and was then raped by Simpson.

He was still working as an athletics coach when allegations against him surfaced in 2018.

Police Scotland said a victim agreed to speak to detectives after seeing a recent photograph of Simpson, still in a coaching role and posing with a young girl.

Her account triggered the start of a police investigation.

Five women agreed to give statements and Simpson was arrested and charged in May 2019.

Det Sgt Graeme Dursley said: "Simpson was well known in the local community. He was held in very high regard in athletic circles and many of those we spoke to couldn't believe the concerns were true.

"This shows his level of manipulation and the depraved character that he was.

"The women who agreed to testify against him are incredibly brave. When we approached them for the first time, they were all so glad that this was being investigated and that we believed them."

He said Simpson would not have been convicted had his victims not agreed to speak to the police.

Simpson was placed on the sex offenders register and remanded in custody, pending sentencing in September.