A child rapist who was deported from America to face justice has been jailed for nine years after a judge said he robbed his victims of their childhoods.

High risk sex offender Colin Notman attacked two girls, aged 11 and 13 at the time, at houses in Edinburgh.

The 27-year-old also returned to attack his second victim at her home again but fled when a woman arrived.

Notman, a prisoner in Saughton jail, admitted committing two offences of rape and a sexual assault and failing to appear at a scheduled High Court hearing.

A judge told Notman at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You have robbed both children of their childhoods and caused lasting damage."

Lady Scott said: "These young children will have to rebuild their lives."

She added: "Your failure to appear caused considerable delay and associated distress to victims."

Lady Scott said Notman had committed four serious sex attacks and a background report on him suggested he was a high risk of re-offending.

She ordered that Notman be kept under supervision for a further two years and placed him on the sex offenders register for life.

Lady Scott said she took account of his "relatively young age" and his remorse and recognition that his conduct had caused serious harm.

Notman failed to turn up for a court hearing on February 9 last year after he was earlier granted bail at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

It was later discovered that he had been arrested by police in the Wisconsin on another matter.

He was deported and detained by Scottish officers on his arrival at Edinburgh airport on January 23 this year.

The court heard how Notman first struck on an occasion between January and July in 2013 when he attacked an 11-year-old at a house in Edinburgh after joining her and other children playing hide and seek.

He first attacked his second victim at his former address in the Broomhouse area between October 1 and December 31.

Unemployed Notman later attacked the girl again on March 10 in 2016 at a different house, however he fled when a woman walked in.

He was later detained by police at a house in the city's Gorgie area and forensic evidence linked him to the sex assault on the second girl.

Defence counsel David Nicholson said that Notman had gone to the US after forming an online relationship with an American woman who paid his air fare for him to join her.

The defence counsel said that Notman's decision to plead guilty had spared victims having to give evidence at a trial.

Police said Notman had been traced to the US after financial enquiries were carried out.

Acting detective inspector Jonny Wright said: "Despite the considerable trauma Notman subjected his victims to, they were able to tell a person they trusted who in turn alerted police.

"We acknowledge the sentencing of Notman and through the bravery of his victims, he will now face the consequences of his actions.

"He fled the country in a bid to evade justice and through liaising with officers in America we were able to ensure he was brought back before the courts in Scotland."