Commonwealth Games gymnast sentenced over girls' abuse

A former Commonwealth Games gymnast who represented Scotland has been spared jail after he was found guilty of sex offences against schoolgirls.

Ryan McKee knew the girls were 14 when he became involved with them through the club where he coached.

The 25-year-old, from Barmulloch in Glasgow, represented Scotland in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

He engaged in sexual behaviour with the girls and encouraged them to send him indecent images.

McKee was found guilty of three charges following a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court in August.

Over a total of five years between 2010 and 2015 he kissed both girls, exchanged naked pictures with one of them when he was 23 and asked the other girl if she wanted to see indecent images of him. He also asked her to send pictures to him.

He was convicted of "engaging in sexual behaviour" and communicating indecently with one girl between April and August 2015.

He was also found guilty of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the other girl between March 2010 and March 2012.

McKee was given a community payback order with 250 hours unpaid to be carried out within nine months.

He has also been banned from having contact with girls under 16 and for the next eight months has to remain within his home between 20:00 and 08:00.

He will also be on the sex offenders register for three years.

Passing sentence, sheriff Tony Kelly said: "I observed striking similarities between the accounts given by each of the complainers.

"In my view this was a course of conduct persisting over a significant period of time with a number of young girls. That alone is disturbing enough."

He added that McKee was in a position of trust and asked the girls to send him images of themselves.

Speaking outside court the father of one of McKee's victims said: "I'm absolutely disgusted that this predator has been allowed to have his liberty.

"It was expected for him to get a custodial sentence. He's shown the same pattern of behaviour year after year."

The father added that McKee "manoeuvred his way to have one-to-one contact" with his daughter.

The mother of the girl who exchanged naked pictures with McKee told his trial she had seen text messages sent from McKee asking the girl to keep quiet about what happened between them.

He said: "If it gets out it's true between me and you I wont ever work again."