Hugh Ferrier, 67, targeted the boys – one as young as six – repeatedly over the course of almost a decade.

Ferrier performed sex acts on himself in the boys' presence, as well as forcing them to perform sex acts on him.

The crimes only came to light when one of the boys – now an adult – broke down and told his girlfriend of the abuse.

Today at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Ferrier was caged for a year after he admitted three charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour towards children.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for seven years as well as being subject to an extended sentence of three years once he is released from jail.

Retired Ferrier abused his first victim in his Edinburgh home between 1983 and 1990, when the boy was aged between just six and 14.

The other boys, also abused at his home in Calder Gardens, were aged between seven and 13 and seven and eight, when he abused them up until 1992.

Ferrier's solicitor Stuart Carson said the abuse had come to light earlier this year.

He added that Ferrier had been married in 1994 and there had been no further instances of abuse since that time.

Sheriff James Farrell said: "These are serious charges, they involve the systematic sexual abuse of three young boys in the 1980s and 1990s.

These boys were groomed by you and the abuse was not trivial.

"The abuse left its mark on these men and it's because it left its mark that it came to light because they are still suffering from what you did to them."

Mr Carson asked that Ferrier was not jailed as his age would make him vulnerable.

Sheriff James Farrell replied: "As were his victims."

Defending, Mr Carson added: "He has cooperated with police and the social work department and the offences are of some age now."

Sheriff Farrell said: "I don't see how that can be of much mitigation, the reason for the delay is that they were intimidated away from coming forward."

He sentenced Ferrier to 18 months in prison which was reduced to a year because of his early plea and also put him on the sex offenders' register for seven years. Once out of prison, Ferrier will not be allowed unauthorised contact with children under 16 years old and will have to attend group sessions designed to prevent him targeting youngsters as part of a three-year extended sentence.