A MUSIC teacher who fondled young girls' thighs during classes is facing a jail sentence – after being caught abusing children for the second time.

Trumpet tutor Simon Reeves rubbed the legs of four schoolgirls aged between nine and ten-years-old when he was teaching at an East Lothian primary school.

Reeves, 46, rubbed the youngsters' backs and thighs as well as playing with their hair as he taught them how to play the brass instrument.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told today (Tuesday) that the four victims, who cannot be identified due to legal reasons, all attended the primary school between 2015 and 2017.

The girls all believed Reeves' behaviour was “normal at the time” and that he was “just being friendly” by caressing them on the legs and back.

But after one girl found out Reeves, of Pitt Street, Leith, had been prosecuted last year for a similar offence at an East Lothian secondary school and was on the sex offenders' register, the victims decided to report him.

In August 2018, Reeves had been placed on the sex offenders' register for two years after he had admitted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to fondling a schoolgirl's thighs during music lessons and making sexual remarks to her between December 15, 2014 and June 1, 2017 at an East Lothian secondary school.

The victim was 14 when the offences first took place.

He was also placed on a two-year supervision order and told to complete 120 hours of unpaid work following incidents at the secondary school.

Now, he is facing a prison term after pleading guilty this week to sexually assaulting four young primary school girls between August 1, 2015 and June 25, 2017.

Sheriff Michael O’Grady QC deferred sentence to next month for the preparation of background reports and for a risk assessment to be carried out.

Prosecutor Alan Morrison told the court that Reeves had been employed by East Lothian Council and taught children how to play brass instruments at several primary schools.

Mr Morrison said all the incidents involving Reeves touching the schoolgirls took place in one school’s music room when a P5 class was in session.

The four girls said they were all touched intimately by Reeves and added they had all witnessed each other being fondled by the teacher.

Dad-of-two Reeves would lean over the girls as he gave them music lessons and fondled their thighs as he did so.

He also rubbed the children’s backs and played with the girls’ hair during the classes.

The fiscal added that one girl then found out about Reeves' conviction from last year and told the other girls involved to Google the news reports.

After finding out about his sordid past, the girls believed his conduct towards them was similar to his offending and decided to tell their parents and they in turn informed the police.

The girls told police officers that Reeves' hugs “would often last longer than expected” and that he “rubbed their legs back and forth” and would get them to sit on his knee during the trumpet tutorials.

Defending brief Alistair Milne said he would reserve all his mitigation to the sentencing diet.

Reeves pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four schoolgirls by repeatedly touching their body, rubbing their thighs, touching their hair and inducing them to sit on his knee at a school in East Lothian, between August 1, 2015 and June 25, 2017.

He is no longer employed by East Lothian Council.