A policeman is facing jail after being found guilty of preying on young girls in the fishing communities where he was based.

Iain Reid targeted children as young as three while living in a police house in Buckhaven, Fife, and later in Leven, where he bought his own home.

One of his victims, whom he abused over a period of five years, and who had to report her torment three times before he was prosecuted, was singled out for praise by the trial sheriff for her "fortitude" in exposing the "chronic and persistent sexual predator".

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that Reid, now a grandfather aged 66, "engineered" opportunities to be alone with the children, enticing them into his house with sweets, a chance to pat his dog, or in the case of one young girl, offers of lettuce for her rabbit.

Once he had them indoors, the former Fife Constabulary PC touched them inappropriately over their clothing, and rubbed himself sexually against them.

One of his four young victims, now 46, recalled how he abused her in one of the bedrooms at the police house.

Another of his victims, now 35 and a police officer herself, told jurors she could still remember the smell of his smokey breath as he pulled her towards her and whispered in her ear, before performing an act of sexual abuse.

His third child victim -- who was eventually to bring him to justice - said Reid used to invite her into his house which she passed on her way back from school.

Now 30, she described a series of incidents of sexual abuse at his later home in Sillerhole Road, Leven in the early to mid 90s.

The abuse continued until she was in Primary 7 in 1997 and told her best friend. Together they went to see the school nurse. Police and social work were called in, but Reid was not prosecuted at the time, because there were no other witnesses.

She said she reported the childhood abuse again when she was 20 and about to leave home, because she though it was "unfinished business", but again no action was taken because of lack of corroboration.

In about 2009, she heard by chance of another girl who said Reid had abused her, but did nothing until 2014 when out of the blue Reid made a phone call to her mother.

The court was not told the details of the call, but the woman, now a local government official, said its content was enough to make her go to the police in one final attempt to "get justice for herself and others".

This time it worked, not least because she was able to give officers details of the other victim she had met in 2009.

After a five-day trial, the jury of ten women and five men took two and a half hours to find Reid, guilty of three charges of lewd and libidinous conduct towards the victims when they were young girls - one of the charges aggravated by abduction. The offences were committed over a 17 year period, between 1980 and 1997.

Deferring sentence for until October 27 for reports and remanding Reid in custody, Sheriff Craig Caldwell told the accused, a police officer for 21 years and a soldier for 12 years before that, he had faced a substantial prison sentence. He ordered his name be placed on the sex offenders' register.

The sheriff said: "It is clear that you are chronic and persistent sexual predator who abused his position as a police officer, although I recognise these offences were not committed actually on duty.

"It is fortunate that these three have displayed commendable fortitude -- in particular the person who was subjected to the longest period of abuse -- in bringing this matter before the court and exposing you as the evil and base individual that you are."