Former Children’s Panel chairman given 12-year jail sentence for sexually abusing boys

In the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Matthews told Daniel Ross, 62, that he was was guilty of “very grave offences”.

The judge said: “It was your position which gave you access to the young vulnerable boys and who were entitled to look to you to make important decisions for their welfare.

“Instead you grossly abused your position of tr ust and made decisions for your own benefit.”

Mr Ross abused one of the victims at the offices of the Children’s Panel on Albion Street in Glasgow in the 1990s.

The victim, now 38, said Mr Ross was in charge of meetings concerning his future.

He said: “At the start, I thought Mr Ross was quite a nice person.”

However, when he was about 14 the situation changed and Mr Ross began sexually abusing him.

He said: “The first time, it was like a grooming session. I was in a room and he put his hand on my lap.

“This was in the room just off where the panel was to be.”

He added that Mr Ross said he would deny that he had molested the boy.

The victim told the court: “I was frightened of Mr Ross as he knew what home or wherever I was in.”

Prior to this Mr Ross had abused another boy he met through the Children’s Panel.

He secured a job in a cafe for this victim – allowing him access to continue abusing him.

The man, now 42, told the High Court: “I felt as if I had no choice. It was just through fear and threats … the fear of being put into a kids’ home.”

Mr Ross’ met his first victim at a gay club in the 1970s. He sexually assaulted him.

Later, the pair lived together in a flat in Ibrox.

That victim said: “I was very much like a slave. I did not have a life.”

Mr Ross was initially investigated by police in 2001 but was not charged.

But in the wake of Operation Yewtree the 42-year-old man spoke to detectives again in 2012, resulting in former chairman eventually being brought to justice.