A CLEANER today admitted sexually abusing a schoolgirl from the age of 13.

Kevin Finnigan, 45, from Ayr, carried out the abuse between November 2007 and November 2012 on occasions when he was looking after the girl.

He also admitted having underage sex with the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when she was 15.

The offences were committed at various addresses in Ayr.

Prosecutor Euan Cameron said: “The girl said she felt powerless to resist what he was doing to her and to disclose it to anyone. She was 13 when his course of conduct towards her began.

“She was in first year at secondary school when he first sexually abused her and this made her feel very uncomfortable.

“When she was in third year at school he had sex with her for the first time and went on to have sex with her on numerous occasions.”

Finnigan's pleas of not guilty to charges of raping the girl were accepted by the Crown.

The court heard that she first told a college lecturer what had happened and he advised her to go to the police.

Mr Cameron said: “When Finnigan was interviewed by police he denied having sex with her when she was under 16, but said he had had consensual sex with her after that.”

In summer 2018 the girl – then 24 - told her father about Finnigan sexually abusing her and he encouraged her to contact the police again.

Judge Lord Mulholland told Finnigan: “You have pled guilty to very serious charges of sexual abuse and a custodial sentence is inevitable.

“I will call for a background report to assess the risk you pose.”

Finnigan was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month. He was placed on the sex offenders' register.

Defence counsel Kelly Dulling will give her plea in mitigation then.

Finnigan has previous convictions for domestic abuse.