A FORMER Scout leader who admitted sexually abusing two young girls has been jailed for six years.

James Desmond McNamee (72), of Bunneil, Lisnaskea, will also spend a further two years on Probation after pleading guilty to 20 counts of historical sex abuse over a period of almost two decades.

He was charged with 14 counts of indecently assaulting a female and a further six counts of gross indecency with, or towards, a child.

The offences occurred between November 19, 1975 and September 1, 1993.

His two victims, who cannot be named to protect their identities, were children at the time the offences were committed.

McNamee, who was walking with the aid of crutches, appeared in the dock at Dungannon Crown Court for sentencing.

Counsel for the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), Simon Reid, told the court that his first victim was between six or seven years old when the offending occurred in the mid to late 1970s.

The barrister said that, in her case, inappropriate touching had led to “more sinister acts”.

Mr. Reid said she had described the defendant as a “touchy feely” person, whose hand always moved to areas of her body she was not comfortable with.

He told the court that this touching had occurred over her clothing, apart from on two occasions.

She recalled that, when she was seven years old, she was sleeping over at the defendant’s home when she woke up and realised he was in bed beside her.

The barrister said that the victim was touched inappropriately, causing her “sharp pain”.

She attempted to sleep though this even though it was causing her pain, Mr. Reid said. The same type of event happened on another occasion during the same year, he added.

The barrister then told the court that the defendant’s second victim had made a police statement in 2015, outlining her allegations.

Mr. Reid said that, in the second case, the offending had started after the victim joined the Scout movement when she was seven years old.

The barrister said that, at the time, McNamee had been a Scout leader.

He told the court that, initially, the offences against the second girl consisted of “touching and petting”, but, on later occasions, McNamee forced her to engage in a sexual act, put on underwear and also sit and watch pornographic movies.

Mr. Reid said it had been difficult for the second victim to be precise, but added that the counts covered a “wide range of years”.

The barrister said that the various offences were committed at the defendant’s home, in his car as they drove to the Scouts and also in a portacabin at the local waterworks, where the defendant was employed.

He told the court how, on one occasion in the car, McNamee had kissed the girl and forced his tongue into her mouth, which she described as a “disgusting feeling”.

After outlining the abuse at the waterworks, Mr. Reid said that the girl was left feeling “very uncomfortable”, adding that she knew what was happening was wrong.

The barrister said that there were a number of aggravating factors in the case.

Mr. Reid said both victims had been under 13 years old and that, in the case of the second girl, the offending had occurred over “an extended period of time”.

He added that two Victim Impact Statements had been prepared in the case.

Defending counsel, Martin Rodgers QC, instructed by solicitor Myles McManus, told the court that his client was now 72 years old and his offending behaviour had occurred when he was in his 30s.

The barrister said his client, who had no previous convictions and a good work record, had been involved in charity work and had also contributed in local sporting circles, where he acted as an umpire, assisting the referee, at GAA matches.

However, Mr. Rodgers conceded that a pre-sentence report stated the defendant appeared to have a “limited insight” into the affect of his offending behaviour on his victims.

The barrister argued that the defendant’s medical conditions would impact on his ability to adjust to a loss of liberty.

He said that the “adverse public reaction” to the case had meant that McNamee’s volunteering had ceased upon the matters coming to light.

Mr. Rodgers further conceded that the victim impact statements indicated that both girls had “suffered substantially from his actions”.

His Honour, Judge Stephen Fowler QC, sentenced the defendant to a total of eight years, consisting of six years in custody and a further two years on Probation.

The Judge also made McNamee the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) until June 11, 2025 and ordered him to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Meanwhile, the defendant has also been disqualified from working with children.