A 27-YEAR-OLD man who had a secret two year sexual relationship with a girl, which started when she was just 13, has escaped a jail sentence.

There were angry scenes on the public benches and outside Selkirk Sheriff Court after Iain McCracken was ordered to carry out 240 hours unpaid work.

One woman shouted: “That is disgusting” as she left the court room while police had to deal with a commotion outside the building.

First offender McCracken, of Roxburgh Street, Galashiels, pleaded guilty to a charge of sexually activity with a girl under 16 between February 2011 and February 2013.

He also admitted sexually assaulting another 13-year-old girl at his home in August last year.

McCracken was 24 when he met the first girl after speaking on a social networking site and she was aged 13 at the time.

The pair had sex two or three times a month and they split up two years later when she was 15.

Following the break-up the girl said she found out she was pregnant and later suffered a miscarriage.

The court was told McCracken sexually assaulted the second girl after he asked her for a “wee cuddle”. He pulled her on top of him, kissed her on the mouth and rubbed her buttocks.

The scared 13-year-old went to the bathroom where she escaped through a window and cycled to her grandmother’s house in a distressed state.

When the other girl found out what had happened she told police about her two year relationship with McCracken.

McCracken made full admissions to police and confirmed he was aware she was 13 when the relationship first started.

Defence lawyer Ross Dow said McCracken, who was suffering from depression and testicular cancer at the time, accepted the seriousness of the charges.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said: “These are very serious offences and the second offence is even more worrying than the first as it indicates a propensity.” In addition to a community pay back order involving 240 hours unpaid work, the sheriff ordered McCracken’s name be out on the Sex Offender’s Register for three years.