A FORMER social worker who raped a teenage boy and sexually abused another man was today jailed for three years and nine months.

John Noon, 69, claims his life has been destroyed by the conviction and continues to maintain his innocence.

Jailing him at the High Court in Glasgow Judge Sean Murphy QC said: “You have been convicted of gravely serious offences. Both complainers have been significantly affected by your actions.

“One of them tells in his his victim impact statement of how he went off the rails for a time. Your actions have had a significant impact on them.”

The court heard that denied he was a paedophile, when confronted by his rape victim.

Noon, from Ardrossan, said “I’m not an paedophile I’m an abuser.”

Noon, was found guilty after trial of raping the teenager while he was sleeping on one occasion between October 1986 and 1988 when he was aged between 13 and 14. The abuse took place at a house in Ardrossan.

He was also convicted of sexually abusing him from October 1986 to September 1989 at addresses in Ardrossan

The jury also found Noon guilty of indecently assaulting a man while he was asleep. This happened at a flat in Ardrossan.

Noon, who was a residential social worker caring for vulnerable young children, denied all the charges against him.

Prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel said: “John Noon was confronted and told he had raped this teenager - who is now in his 40's – and on the account of several people he said nothing.

She told the jury: “Imagine if someone barged into your house and accused you of rape. You would be saying are you mad instead we have him patting his wife’s knee and saying “I’m not an paedophile I’m an abuser.”

Noon denied the allegations and claimed that his victims were lying.

Ms Dalziel said: “These are ordinary decent men doing their best to tell you about something horrific, they are not here for the dramatics or the attention or whatever ridiculous is being insinuated – two hardworking, family men who have been utterly affected by what happened to them and further rocked by the discovery that they weren’t alone in that – to the point they could no longer stay quiet.”

Defence counsel Kevin McCallum said: “Mr Noon is not in the best of health. He certainly does not agree with the jury's verdict.

“He is a first offender and worked for the post office before being in social work for 28 years. He also volunteered and has contributed a lot to society.”