A FORMER Commonwealth Games gymnast who represented Scotland has been spared jail for sex charges against schoolgirls.

Ryan McKee, 25, knew the girls were 14 when he became involved with them through the gymnastics club where he coached.

He represented Scotland in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and was branded a “predator” by one of his victims’ dads who thought he should have been jailed.

Over a total of five years between 2010 and 2015 McKee preyed on the two teenagers from the Glasgow sports club.

One girl he kissed and asked her if she wanted to see indecent images of him and requested she send pictures to him.

A second girl he also kissed and they exchanged naked pictures with one another, when he was 23.

Pub worker McKee denied the charges at Glasgow Sheriff Court but was found guilty after trial of three charges.

Sheriff Tony Kelly convicted McKee, of Barmulloch, Glasgow, of “engaging in sexual behaviour” and communicating indecently with one girl between April and August 2015.

He also found him guilty of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the other between March 2010 and March 2012.

Pervert McKee was given a community payback order with 250 hours unpaid to be carried out within nine months.

He has not to be in contact with girls under 16 and for the next eight months has to remain within his home between 8pm and 8am.

He will also be on the sex offenders register for three years.

Passing sentence the sheriff said: “I observed striking similarities between the accounts given by each of the complainers.

“In my view this was a course of conduct persisting over a significant period of time with a number of young girls.

“That alone is disturbing enough.”

He added that McKee was in a position of trust and asked the girls to send him images of themselves.

Speaking outside court the dad of one of McKee’s victims said: “I’m absolutely disgusted that this predator has been allowed to have his liberty.

“It was be expected for him to get a custodial sentence.

“He’s shown the same pattern of behaviour year after year.”