Paedophile sexually abused three young boys over 13-year period

A paedophile has been convicted of sexually abusing three young boys over a 13-year period. A jury found Graham Borthwick guilty of four charges. He was convicted by a majority verdict of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards two step-brothers at addresses in Edinburgh.

The 46-year-old committed sex acts on one of the brothers when the boy was nine and ten years old in offences that happened in 1999 and 2000.

Five years later he began committing similar sexual offences on the boy’s younger brother who was then aged ten and the abuse continued until 2009 when the boy turned 14.

The second brother was also subjected to sexual assault when Borthwick forced him to commit a sex act in 2009 when he was aged between 14 and 15.

Borthwick was also convicted by a majority verdict of committing that offence at his home in Edinburgh and then Musselburgh, East Lothian.

The jury returned a unanimous verdict in a fourth charge of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards the youngest child involved. The 12 year old, who gave evidence via a CCTV link, said Borthwick began abusing him when he was aged eight and at primary school. The offences continued until he was 11 years old.

He testified that his primary school teacher noticed a change in his behaviour and kept him behind one day to ask what was wrong. He told her that Borthwick had been abusing him, and the school called the police.

The child frequently broke down in tears as he related what had been done to him. He told the jury that he felt “scared” and was unable to tell even his mother.

Borthwick, of Tranent, East Lothian, denied inviting the children to his house and abusing each of them in turn. The boys – now aged 12, 17 and 22 – claimed he plied them with treats and took them on trips before subjecting them to sexual abuse.

During the five-day trial, the jury was told that the most worrying aspect of the case was the way Borthwick had moved from child to child over a period of years.

Despite the charges, the court heard that Borthwick’s partner of six years Tanya Walker was “standing by her man”. She was not present in court on Friday to hear the verdict. Two of Borthwick’s relatives declined to comment as they left the court, visibly upset.

After the verdict was delivered, advocate depute Stephen O’Rourke moved for sentence. He revealed that Borthwick, who has one previous conviction for breach of the peace, had been on remand continuously since a petition appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on March 20, 2012.

Judge Lord Jones adjourned the case until November 21 at the High Court in Edinburgh for social work background reports to be prepared before sentence. He ordered that Borthwick’s name be put on the sex offenders register and that the conviction be reported to Scottish ministers.