A former farm manager was jailed for having sex with a 12-year-old girl he met when she went to help out at stables.
Peter Bryant, 50, also had unlawful intercourse with the child victim's 15-year-old friend after telling her he would teach her to ride a horse properly.
Bryant was jailed on Thursday for almost 8 years following his arrest last yearon a warrant after being in Portugal. He was given bail at Stirling Sheriff Court in 2004 and then failed to turn up for an earlier court appearance.
A judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You have accepted responsibility for a number of serious sexual offences against two young girls."
Lord Kinclaven said: "Clearly there is no alternative to a significant custodial sentence."
The judge jailed the first offender for a total of seven and a half years for his sex crimes and a further three months for failing to appear at a previous High Court date.
Lord Kinclaven said he would refer Bryant's case to the Scottish Ministers under child protection legislation for him to be included on a list of those unsuitable to work with youngsters.
Bryant had underage sex with the older girl at a farm near Dunblane, in Stirlingshire, where he had a caravan and with the younger girl at a house in Rothesay on Bute.
Bryant earlier admitted having unlawful intercourse with the 15-year-old in July in 1999 and with the 12-year-old between October that year and January 2000.
He also admitted committing indecency offences with both girls and failing to appear at court last year.
The sex crimes came to light after the younger victim made a complaint to police in 2003. Bryant was detained by police at Kidderminster, in the Midlands, in 2004.
Advocate depute John Halley told the court: "During an interview the accused denied the allegations put to him. He admitted that he had had a sexual relationship with the older girl when she was 17."
The court heard that the older girl had been helping out a riding school for the disabled when Bryant arrived to collect a horse.
He suggested she come to the Stirlingshire farm, where he was employed as a manager, to help there.
On one occasion he told her he would teach her to ride properly but began touching her in an indecent way. He later asked her to be his girlfriend.
He later began kissing and cuddling the girl in a tack room at the farm and had sex with her.
The younger victim was first molested by Bryant after she went to help out at the stables and he later had sex with her after he moved to a flat in Rothesay.
Defence solicitor advocate David Brookens said Bryant had been the target for vigilante justice in the Midlands after his crimes first emerged.
He said he had gone to Portugal but was later arrested in London. He was detained in Glasgow's Barlinnie jail.
Bryant was put on the sex offenders' register.
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