James Kinnen: Paedophile football coach, who told victim teams such as Manchester United and Celtic wanted to sign him, dies in jail

James Kinnen was brought to justice after abusing the young boy in the 1970s while he played for his North Lanarkshire club. The 80-year-old was later found to have sexually assaulted another young player and was jailed for eight years in 2018 after pleading guilty to the abuse of both victims during a trial at Glasgow High Court.

The Sun reports that Kinnen, who was being held at HMP Glenochil in Alloa, died earlier this month. A cause of death has not been confirmed but a fatal accident inquiry is set to take place.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said: "James Kinnen, 80, of HMP Glenochil has died on 11 June." His death has been reported to prosecutors, with police also advised.

Kinnen was coaching a local football youth club in the 1970s when he targeted his victims. His first victim joined the club when he was 11 years old and was abused in his own home by Kinnen. The coach told the young boy that he would tell his teammates that he was homosexual if he told anyone about the encounter. He would later lie to the boy, claiming that Scottish top-flight side Celtic was interested in signing him, as well as English club Manchester United.

The victim first went to the police in 2012 but after being told there would be no further action, he re-reported the abuse four years later. The second report prompted an investigation which uncovered the abuse of a second victim.

The second victim told investigators that he had joined the North Lanarkshire youth club when he was seven years old. He said that he was abused on multiple occasions until he left the club four years later.