A PERVERTED pensioner with links to a religious cult known as the Children of God has been jailed for 11-and-a-half years after he admitted raping two schoolgirls.
Derek Lincoln, 74, carried out the sex attacks at various addresses in Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire between 1989 and 1996.
His victims were aged just nine and 10 when the horrific abuse began.
Callous Lincoln even thanked one of his young victims as he raped her.
He pleaded guilty to the offences at the High Court in Glasgow last month following a five-year international police operation.
Sentencing Lincoln today, judge Lord Matthews told him: "I have no idea if your remorse is genuine or not.
"You had told your victims that you were sorry but you continued to abuse them.
"You say 'it just happened' but it did not just happen. You sacrificed their dreams for your own perverted desires."
Lord Matthews also told Lincoln his jail term would have been 13 years but for his admission of guilt.
Lincoln was extradited from France last year on a European arrest warrant for his involvement in the Children of God group.
It is understood the cult, which began in the USA in the late 1960s, operated at a number of Scottish sites, including Renfrewshire.
The court previously heard how many cult members were known to each other only by names attributed to them by the group.
Living communally, they performed missionary work in the west of Scotland and had limited interaction with the outside world.
Lincoln's first victim was raped, beaten with a belt and had soap shoved into her mouth.
After one attack, she described it as if "the light went out inside me."
Lincoln apologised to her for his behaviour but, despite this, the abuse continued and became more frequent.
On one occasion, he took her out jogging with him and, as they ran into a wooded area, he pulled her to the ground and raped her.
When she begged him to stop, he put his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.
Prosecutor Kath Harper said: “The abuse continued daily and sometimes, after raping her, he would say thank-you.”
The victim suffered in silence and ended up being tagged "the weird kid" by other youngsters.
She also tried to take her own life.
Lincoln’s second victim was raped when she was nine or 10.
He would apologise to her and buy her gifts to keep her quiet.
A probe was eventually sparked when one of the victims bravely went to police in England.
By this time, Lincoln was retired and living in France but he was hauled back to Scotland in October last year to face justice.
Euan Dow, defending, said: "The social worker in the (pre-sentencing) report is sceptical of the expressions of remorse.
"However, he (Lincoln) has stated his shame."
Lord Matthews also put Lincoln on the Sex Offenders List indefinitely.
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