The owner of a children’s adventure holiday island was jailed for 18 months yesterday after a sheriff ruled he had “abused his position of power” when he groped young boys in his care. Oban Sheriff Court heard Torquil Johnson-Ferguson suffered a heart attack after he was convicted of abusing three youngsters who attended his outdoor courses in the 1980s.
An adventure island owner accused of abusing boys told a court there was “nothing devious” about him changing his appearance before an identity parade. Torquil Johnson-Ferguson, of Solwaybank, Chapel Knowe, Canonbie, in Dumfriesshire, had his long hair cut before the line-up his trial at Oban Sheriff Court was told earlier.
A witness in a child sex abuse trial yesterday denied making up an allegation that he was groped by the leader of a summer camp because he was “awestruck” by his alleged attacker. The man, now aged 44, told Oban Sheriff Court he was abused by Torquil Johnson-Ferguson, 65, the owner of a west coast adventure island, more than 30 years ago.
