A MEMBER of a religious cult who operated in Ayrshire in the 1980s and 90s has been jailed for raping two young girls.

Sick Derek Lincoln - who was part of the Children of God group - preyed on the youngsters, who were just nine and 10 when he first struck.

The 74 year-old committed the crimes at various locations in Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire between 1989 and 1996.

He was today sentenced to 11 and a half years at the High Court in Glasgow having earlier been extradited from France.

The pervert OAP had admitted to raping the children.

Lord Matthews told him: "I have no idea if your remorse is genuine or not.

"You had told your victims that you were sorry, but you continued to abuse them.

"You say 'it just happened', but it did not just happen.

"You sacrificed their dreams for your own perverted desires."

The judge said the jail term would have been 13 years, but for the guilty pleas.

The court previously heard how the Children of God group lived communally, performing missionary work with little contact with the outside world.

The first victim was raped, beaten with a belt and also had soap shoved into her mouth.

After one attack, she described it as if "the light went out inside me".

Lincoln also raped a victim in a wooded area while out together jogging.

When she begged him to stop he put his hand over her mouth.

Prosecutor Kath Harper said: “The abuse continued daily and sometimes after raping her he would say 'thank you.”

The victim suffered in silence and ended up being tagged "the weird kid" by other youngsters.

She also tried to take her own life.

The second girl was preyed upon in a similar horrific way.

He would also apologise to her and buy her gifts to keep her quiet.

A police probe was eventually sparked when one of the victims bravely went to police in England.

Lincoln was by this time retired and living in France, but he was hauled back to Scotland in October last year to face justice.

Euan Dow, defending, said: "The social worker in the (pre-sentencing) report is sceptical of the expressions of remorse.

"However, he (Lincoln) has stated his shame."

Lord Matthews also put Lincoln on the sex offenders list indefinitely.