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A sex offender who preyed on two children has been jailed for six-and-a-half years.

A judge told Alasdair MacFarlane, 33, formerly of Dumfries, that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

The former support worker assaulted a girl when she was aged between seven and 10 and raped a teenage boy while acting with another man.

He was also convicted of another charge of causing the underage girl to participate in sexual activity.

Judge Norman McFadyen told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You have shown no remorse and these are all serious charges."

He said the victims were significantly younger than him at the time of the offending and the impact of his behaviour had been significant.

MacFarlane had denied a series of charges at an earlier trial but was found guilty of three offences - two involving the girl and one the boy.

All the offences occurred in Dumfries.

He was convicted of assaulting the girl on an occasion between July 2009 and July 2013, when she was aged between seven and 10.

MacFarlane was also found guilty of a rape charge on the boy on an occasion between October 2011 and October 2014 while acting with another.

Defence counsel Iain Smith told the court: "His position is that he maintains his innocence in respect of these matters."

He said that married MacFarlane has been unemployed since his arrest in 2021.

"He has no previous convictions of any kind and otherwise no involvement with the police," he added

MacFarlane was told he would be put on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period following his sentencing.