A SCOTS support worker who was found guilty of raping women as they slept has now been struck off the care register.
Lincoln Thomson was removed from the Scottish Social Services Council register last week after being convicted of raping two women as they slept in properties in Kelso, Scottish Borders.
The 34-year-old was found to have masturbated over them as they slept, touched them without their consent and coerced them into engaging in sexual activity.
Both incidents took place between December 2010 and August 2019.
Thomson denied the allegations but was convicted of two counts of rape following a trial at the High Court of Justiciary in Livingston, West Lothian in February this year.
He was sentenced to four-and-half years in prison and was put on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period.
Judge Simon Collins QC said Thomson had not expressed any remorse for the offending against the women.
Following his conviction, the SSSC decided to issue Thomson with a striking off order.
They said: “You have been convicted of two rapes, where both complainers appear to have been sleeping at the time of the offences.
“You exploited the complainers’ vulnerability for your own sexual gratification. Your actions were sexually abusive, exploitative and represent a significant abuse of trust.
“Your conduct is likely to have caused significant psychological and emotional harm to the complainers. If your actions were to be repeated, it is likely others would be exposed to a significant risk of harm.
“Your convictions raise significant concerns about your values, underlying attitudes and the risks you present to others.
“Your fitness to practise is impaired because a registered social service workers must not act in a manner inside, or outside, of work that questions their suitability to work within the profession.
“You have been convicted of two serious sexual offences, namely rape. The convictions raise serious concerns about your values and underlying attitudes.
“Your offences are likely to have caused significant harm to both complainers. Your conduct and values are fundamentally incompatible with those expected of registered social service workers who are entrusted to safeguard and promote the welfare and wellbeing of the people they support.
“The convictions sit at the very highest end of the types of convictions and behaviours considered by the SSSC.”
On making their decision to remove Thomson from their register, they concluded: “You present an ongoing and continuing risk to members of the public. The behaviour leading to your convictions, and the concerns arising from them, are very serious.
“The risk of similar behaviour being repeated is high. There are real and ongoing public protection concerns.”
“The SSSC considers a removal order is the most appropriate sanction as it is both necessary and justified in the public interest and to maintain the continuing trust and confidence in the social service profession and the SSSC as the regulator of the profession.”
