Paedophile who abducted and abused girl in Scottish Borders appeals against sentence

A paedophile who abducted a young girl as she walked home and sexually abused her for 27 hours is appealing against his sentence.

Andrew Miller, 53, who also uses the name Amy George, was dressed as a woman when he offered the primary school-aged child – whom he had never seen before – a lift in February.

He took the girl back to his house in the Scottish Borders and subjected her to repeated attacks, which a judge described as “every parent’s worst nightmare”.

At the High Court in Edinburgh last week, Miller was handed a 28-year extended sentence, comprising 20 years behind bars and a further eight spent on licence under supervision in the community.

At the same court in May, Miller had pleaded guilty to charges of abduction, sexual assault, watching pornography in the presence of the child under the age of 13, and possessing 242 indecent images of children.

The Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh confirmed on Thursday that an appeal against sentence has been lodged on behalf of Miller.

A judge will now consider whether the appeal can be heard.

Sentencing Miller last week, judge Lord Arthurson described Miller’s crimes as “brazen and chilling” and “uniquely appalling”.

He said the offences were “abhorrent crimes” of the utmost “deviance and depravity” which were “the realisation of every parent’s worst nightmare”.

The court was told Miller is transitioning into a woman.

The child was locked in Miller’s home for 27 hours, during which time she was repeatedly touched, and also forced to watch pornography.

She eventually managed to dial 999 while Miller, who was wearing women’s underwear, was asleep.

Miller, who had run a butcher’s shop, claimed he offered the girl a lift “because she was freezing”, and said forcing her to sleep in the bed with him “was a motherly thing”.

After his arrest, three laptops were seized from his property and a total of 242 indecent images of children were found.

Miller has been placed on the sex offenders register.

He has been held in the male prison estate.

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