A FORMER Commonwealth Games gymnast who represented Scotland has been convicted of sex charges against two schoolgirls.
Ryan McKee, 25, knew the girls were 14 when he became involved with them through the gymnastics club where he coached.
He represented Scotland in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Over a total of five years between 2010 and 2015 McKee preyed on the two teenagers from the Glasgow sports club.
He kissed one girl and asked her if she wanted to see indecent images of him and requested she send pictures to him.
He also kissed another and they did exchange naked pictures with one another, when he was 23.
Pub worker McKee denied the charges at Glasgow Sheriff Court but was found guilty of three charges, after a trial.
Sheriff Tony Kelly convicted McKee, of Milton of Campisie, of engaging in sexual behaviour, and communicating indecently with one girl between April and August 2015.
He also found him guilty of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the other between March 2010 and March 2012.
He told McKee: “I accept the accounts given by the complainers, there are striking similarities about what was said about your conduct.
“You formed relationships with girls under 16 and kissed them and requested images of them.”
McKee was convicted of a similar crime in 2013 after sending a nude photograph to another schoolgirl. But he was admonished after a sheriff accepted his claim that he believed she was 16.
Throughout the verdict yesterday, he sat with his head down in the dock.
The court heard evidence from the girls, who were underage when McKee was a coach at their gymnastics club.
He kissed them and acted inappropriately towards both of them, knowing what age they were.
The mother of one girl who confronted her daughter after hearing about “inappropriate conduct” with McKee gave evidence.
When questioned, her daughter confessed she had been kissing McKee for a couple of months and they had exchanged naked pictures.
The woman saw text messages sent from McKee asking the girl to keep quiet about what happened between them.
He said: “If it gets out it’s true between me and you I won't ever work again.”
The mother used her own phone to take a picture of the messages on her daughter’s phone.
Procurator fiscal depute Jonathan Kemp asked: “Did you have any other conversation with her about messages that had been sent?”
The woman replied: “She said that she messaged Ryan quite a lot and there was inappropriate pictures sent between the two of them.”
Asked if the girl described the pictures, the witness said: “Naked pictures.”
Mr Kelly deferred sentence for a background report and risk assessment.
His bail was continued with the condition that McKee cannot approach anyone under 16 without supervision.
McKee represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010.
The 2013 court case heard that he had sent a girl an obscene message, followed by a picture of him exposing himself.
The sheriff admonished him, saying he had "suffered very significant consequences", including being suspended by Scottish Gymnastics and losing a coaching post.
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