A former Dumfries man who repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted a little girl was caught after police found videos and photographs of the abuse on his mobile phone.
Detectives made the horrifying discovery after detaining Willliam Skeats, 55, in the town, in August, 2021.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how officers found two explicit videos and 415 still images of Skeats abusing the child.
He came to the attention of the authorities after his victim told her mum about what he had been doing to her.
The court heard how Skeats began abusing her in August, 2017, when she was just 11-years-old.
But the child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left heavily traumatised by the abuse and eventually confided in her mother on August 11, 2021.
On Friday, prosecution lawyer Leigh Lawrie told judge Lord Beckett of the moment the little girl decided to tell her mum about what had happened.
She said: “She was visibly upset and was worried which caused her younger sister to question her.
“The complainer told her sister that she needed to speak to their mum. At around 8.30pm that night the complainer was in a car with her mother and younger siblings when her sister told her mother that the complainer had something she wanted to tell her.
“Upon being asked by her mother what was wrong the complainer started to cry and described what the accused had been doing to her. Her mother immediately drove to Dumfries Police Station and as she drove the complainer continued to describe what had happened to her.”
Skeats, a prisoner of HMP Low Moss near Bishopbriggs, Dunbartonshire, pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault charges.
Ms Lawrie told the court that Skeats had abused the little girl at locations in Dumfries.
She told judge Lord Beckett that he used sex toys during some of the assaults. The complainer told police that he kept the items in a plastic Home Bargains bag.
Describing one of the attacks, Ms Lawrie added: “The complainer repeatedly shouted at the accused to stop and she told him she was sorry.
“But he repeatedly told her to shut up and continued with his actions.
“She tried to push him off her and began scratching the skin on her fingers due to her being scared.”
Ms Lawrie said that when officers arrested Skeats, he became “ill” and started “vomiting”. However, he
was later found to be well enough to be interviewed by police.
Lord Beckett remanded Skeats in custody and deferred sentence until September 23 for reports.
