Inverness former youth football coach who raped teenager jailed for five years

A former youth football coach who raped a young girl in his car has been jailed for five years.

Lee Murray was found guilty of four charges following a trial at the High Court in Inverness on July 30.

The 53-year-old also sent the same child indecent images of himself and inappropriate messages while proposing to meet up with her.

He was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting her in his vehicle on various occasions in the Inverness area.

While on bail for that offence, the former Thistle Girls FC head coach sent sexual messages to an adult female, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl on a social media app.

Murray, who believed he was talking to the underage child, then engaged in a video call on WhatsApp where he indecently exposed himself to the same person.

Later confronted by a paedophile vigilante group he branded his own actions ‘disgusting’.

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The offending took place between January 2021 and October 2022.

Today, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Murray was given a sentence of five years imprisonment, plus two years supervision on his release, and a non-harassment order banning him from contacting or attempting to contact the rape victim for three years.

His name has been added to the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely.

Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offending, Katrina Parkes, said: “Lee Murray held a position of trust within the local community while committing this horrific sexual offending.

“He poses a danger to children and will now have to face the consequences of his actions.

“COPFS prosecutors are committed to securing justice in child sexual abuse cases.

“I would urge anyone aware of or affected by similar crime to report it and seek support.”