A PAEDOPHILE music teacher abused two schoolgirls during his time as principal of the department almost 40 years ago.

Pervert William Wright, 78, preyed on the teenagers while they were pupils of the East Renfrewshire school.

One woman, now 54, described being “terrified” of him and not wanting to object to the abuse because she needed his help to get through her exams.

The grandad-of-eight claimed he had “no explanation” why the women would make such allegations.

But, a jury at the High Court in Glasgow convicted him of two charges of using lewd and libidinous practices and behaviour and a charge of indecent assault towards the two women between August 1974 and June 1981.

A police probe into married dad-of-three lead to the women, now 54 and 57-years-old, being tracked down.

The 54-year-old fought tears in court as she said she was “too afraid” to speak up at the time about what was happening to her.

Wright often put his fingers into her shirt and underwear, while in a sound-proofed practise room.

He would brazenly carry out the abuse at times while she sat at the piano with him, sometimes when other pupils were sitting at the other side of it.

She said: “He would on occasion take my hand and put it in his pocket” and described how he would have her touch his private parts.

Wright, who sometimes plays the organ at Elderslie Kirk, denied any wrongdoing.

In evidence he told the jury: “It just wasn’t me. Simple as that, it just wasn’t me.”

Wright had his bail continued pending sentencing on September 11 in Livingston.