A 67-year-old from East Kilbride has been jailed for five years for the abuse of nine young boys spanning from 1980 to 1995.

William Cross held a position of trust in a number of youth organisations across East Kilbride, including football teams and the Boys Brigade.

His victims were aged between seven and 15, and he met them through the numerous youth clubs.

He originally denied the offences, but changed his plea to guilty on May 16 after two days of evidence was heard at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

Speaking after the sentencing, Fraser Gibson, Procurator Fiscal for South Strathclyde said: “William Cross’s victims were robbed of their innocence by a man in a position of trust.

“Justice can be achieved even after many years and we would encourage all victims of such crimes, wherever and whenever they were committed, to come forward and report them.

“They can be confident that they will be treated with the utmost professionalism by everyone involved in the investigation and prosecution.”

A spokeswoman for Police Scotand’s National Child Abuse Investigation Unit described Cross as a “serial abuser who took advantage of his position of trust to abuse children in his care”.

DCI Sarah Taylor added: “He came to our attention following reports made during our investigation into child abuse in football.

“I also hope that this will encourage anyone else who may have suffered abuse, or knows someone who may have been abused, to come forward and report to us. We will listen and we will take action, no matter when or where the abuse occurred.”

Cross was sentenced to five years and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.