A YOUNG sex attacker who raped a teenage girl in Stewarton has been locked up for four years.

Former child actor Lochlann Harris preyed on the 15 year-old at a house in the town on September 7, 2019.

The now 19-year-old went on to sexually assault a young woman in woods in the town 18 months later.

Harris was convicted of the attacks following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last month before returning for sentencing.

But his sentence was quickly branded 'too lenient' by campaigners and politicians.

It came in the wake of the case of Sean Hogg, a 21-year-old rapist who was ruled ‘too young to send to prison’ and was instead made subject to a community payback order.

As well as custody, Judge John McCormick also put Harris, now of Renfrew, on the sex offenders list.

The rape occurred after Harris has just turned 16 himself.

Prosecutors stated the attack involved the young victim being pushed causing her to fall onto a bed.

Harris was then on bail when he struck again at Lainshaw Woods in Stewarton on April 17 2021.

The sexual assault charge stated Harris inappropriately touched this victim.

As a child, Harris starred in starred alongside Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in the 2015 movie version of Macbeth.

Geoffrey Forbes, defending, told the sentencing hearing: "While accepting the verdict of the jury, he maintains his denial of the charges."

The advocate added Harris was a first offender with no pending matters.

Sentencing, Judge McCormick told Harris: "A custodial sentence, you are sensible enough to know, is inevitable."

"I am also aware of the cumulative effect of sentencing young people of your age...of a sentence for one charge then add on a sentence for a second.

"Having regard all factors, I intend to impose an in cumulo sentence treating it effectively as a course of conduct.

"The appropriate sentence is one of four years.

"I am mitigating that to take account for the reasons mentioned, in particular your age.

"If it had not been for that factor -  in particular your age at the time - the sentence would have been substantially higher."

The decision to hand Harris a more lenient sentence because of his age comes after the recent sentencing of Sean Hogg, who was spared a prison sentence after being found guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl at Dalkeith Country Park in Midlothian.

Hogg was told he would have been jailed if he'd been over the age of 25.

The Lord Advocate said last week that the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) should appeal the "unduly lenient" sentence handed out to Hogg.

Opposition politicians and campaigners demanded the Scottish Government take action to toughen sentencing guidelines, saying that being young should be no excuse for committing serious crimes.

New sentencing guidelines brought in by the Scottish Government last January, state that judges must take into account the ‘immaturity’ of offenders under the age of 25.

Scottish Conservative community safety spokesman Russell Findlay said: "This is the latest in a long line of cases where serious and dangerous criminals have either not been jailed or have been given a lesser sentence due to being under 25.

"The consequences are profound, especially for victims who are left wondering why justice is not being done. SNP Ministers need to commit to properly evaluating the impact this is having on the victims of these heinous crimes."

Sandy Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said: "We understand the will not to impose long prison sentences on young people in many circumstances, but sexual violence is an extremely serious crime and it needs to be met with robust consequences."