A CAREER criminal who told the child he repeatedly raped that nobody would believe her if she spoke about her ordeal has been jailed.

Steven Nevitt, 48, preyed on the female while he was a teenager in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, between 1991 and 1993.

The high court heard how Nevitt raped the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in a locked bathroom. He also repeatedly assaulted her in in her bedroom while he covered her mouth.

Nevitt also raped a girl between 1989 and 1990 when she was five or six at the same property.

The girl recalled the incident as she remembered eating a digestive biscuit after it.

Nevitt was jailed for 30 months in 1997 for lewd, libidinous practices against a male and female child.

Nevitt, who pleaded guilty last month to two rape charges, appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Passing sentence, judge Lord Arthurson, gave Nevitt a jail term of six years and nine months. He told Nevitt that he had read “very powerful” statements provided to him by his victims detailing their ordeals.

He said: “These are deplorable and extremely grave sexual offences against young children and today you will receive from the Court a substantial custodial sentence for your crimes.

“The damaging psychological consequences of your offending upon your vulnerable child victims are, on any view, likely to be lifelong.

“You of course already have an extensive criminal record, comprising by my count 62 groups of previous convictions, five of these being at sheriff and jury level.

“You have served to date some 30 custodial sentences.”

At earlier proceedings, Lord Arthurson heard how Nevitt - aged 16 or 17 - attacked one of the girls - aged 10 and 11 - in a bathroom which he locked behind him.

Prosecutor Vish Kathuria said: "He pushed her on the floor so she was lying on her back and he pulled his trousers as well his pants down to his ankles.

"He covered her mouth with his hand."

Nevitt went on to rape the girl and stated: "No one will believe you" which she thought was the case.

There were further occasions Nevitt raped the girl while they were in her bedroom alone.

Nevitt would again cover her mouth when the attacks took place.

The girl stated that she looked away and "blocked it out" whenever it happened.

She added that it happened on a number of occasions that cannot separate them.

The hearing was told of an earlier incident involving the younger child. She recalled Nevitt - who was 14 or 15 - being in her bedroom while she was sleeping and he held a digestive biscuit.

Nevitt pulled down his trousers, came towards her and raped her.

The girl remembered being in pain. Mr Kathuria added: "She can't remember what he did when he stopped.

"She remembered sitting alone in the bed eating the biscuit he had brought to the room."

Both girls did not report the incidents to the police during an investigation in 1996.

However, reports were made in 2022 which led to Nevitt's arrest.

On Wednesday, Lord Arthurson also placed Nevitt on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

He added: “I have determined that, in respect of your campaign of sexual violence against the young child complainers in this case, notwithstanding your own young age at the time of that offending, you will serve a sentence of six years and nine months imprisonment.”