Tag: John O'Flaherty

John O’Flaherty jailed for non-recent sexual assaults in Edinburgh

A man who committed a number of sexual assaults on women and girls in the 1980s and 1990s has been jailed.

At the High Court in Livingston yesterday (Tuesday, 27 February), John O’Flaherty (67) was sentenced to an Order of Lifelong Restriction with a minimum punishment part of five-years in prison for the offences, which took place in the North and South West of Edinburgh.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

The survivors were aged between 7 and 32 and after reporting the crimes to police in 2018, officers from Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit spent more than two years gathering evidence against O’Flaherty.

He was initially arrested in June 2020, with further charges added over the following months.

Chief Inspector Jonny Wright said: “Our response to sexual crime is victim centred, with the safety and wellbeing of victims at the heart of what we do. I hope the conviction and sentencing of John O’Flaherty highlights that time is no barrier to investigating offences and we will respond to all reports we receive.

“I wish to thank the women he targeted for coming forward and reporting the attacks to police.

“Their continued support of our investigation and their testimony during the trial ultimately led to O’Flaherty’s conviction.”

Man convicted for serious sexual offences in North Edinburgh

A man responsible for a series of serious sexual offences against women and children in Edinburgh has been convicted.

Yesterday at Edinburgh High Court (5th May 2022), John O’Flaherty was found guilty of serious sexual offences, including rape committed against 4 females between the 1980s and 1990s.

The 65-year-old became the subject of a public protection investigation after the victims, who are now all adults, came forward to report the abuse they were subjected to.

The sexual abuse survivors were aged between 7 and 32, with the majority of attacks taking place within the North of the city.  However, other addresses and locations within the South West were also identified during the inquiry.

Detectives from Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit spent more than two years gathering evidence against O’Flaherty before he was initially arrested in June 2020, with further charges added over the following months.

He will now be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Inspector Jonny Wright said: “For more than two decades John O’Flaherty targeted young woman who lived within, or frequented, the North of Edinburgh and subjected them to horrific levels of sexual abuse.

“The impact of his offending had a significant and long-lasting effect on communities within the North and had it not been for the outstanding courage of these women in coming forward, then O’Flaherty would not have been brought to justice.

“I want to thank each survivor of O’Flaherty’s abuse for their strength during our investigation and I also wish to acknowledge the outstanding work of the detectives and criminal justice partners who worked so diligently to ensure this case reached a successful conclusion.

“Today’s conviction should serve as a reassuring reminder to the public that time is no barrier to our investigation and whenever reports of sexual assault are made, we will utilise all resources at our disposal to investigate thoroughly and provide those affected with all the relevant support they require.”