A man has admitted abducting a primary school aged girl while dressed as a woman before sexually assaulting her repeatedly over more than 24 hours.

Andrew Miller, 53, who is also known as Amy George, pleaded guilty to four charges – abduction, sexual assault, watching pornography in the presence of the child under the age of 13, and possessing 242 indecent images of children.

At the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, a narrative of Miller’s offences were read out, which judge Lord Arthurson described as “abhorrent crimes” of the utmost “deviance and depravity” which were “the realisation of every parent’s worst nightmare”.

Miller is in the process of transitioning and was the proprietor of a local butcher shop, which had not been open for some months.

He and the victim were not known to each other.

The court heard Miller had approached the child in February this year when she was walking home to offer her a lift.

Instead of taking the child to her home, Miller took her to his home in the Scottish Borders.

There, he subjected her to acts of sexual assault in his bedroom over the course of the next 27 hours.

For the time the child was confined at the property, Miller was dressed as a woman, wearing a bra and women’s underwear.

He also made the girl watch porn.

The following evening, Miller fell asleep in the bed next to the child. She tipped over a glass of water in an attempt to wake him, but he did not rouse.

Following this, the child turned on the bedroom light and Miller still did not wake.

She then attempted to escape from the property, but found the door was locked.

She found the landline phone and called police, saying she had been touched inappropriately, the court heard.

At the time of his arrest, Miller was wearing a bra, women’s underwear, tights and one silicone breast – the other had become dislodged during a struggle.

During interview, Miller told detectives he did not abduct the girl and that it was “all a mistake”, saying he stopped to offer her a lift because “she was freezing”.

He said he put her in his bed with him because “it was a motherly thing”, and admitted he should have called police.

He admitted he should “never have gotten into this situation” during the interview, which lasted six hours.

Following his arrest, three laptops were seized from his property and a total of 242 indecent images of children were found, most of which were of the lowest category.

His internet history was also accessed, showing his searches for indecent images.

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf confirmed Miller is being held in the male prison estate.

Speaking to media after First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, he said: “I feel for the family, I feel for the community that are involved as well. I think as a parent it’s one of the most traumatic things that you think could ever happen to your child.

“It’s disgusting, it’s abhorrent. But it is still a live case, we know sentencing has still to happen, but I know that the individual involved, he is being kept in the male estate, which is right.”

Asked whether Miller should be housed in a women’s prison, Mr Yousaf said: “No, in the male estate, where he currently is but of course what you’re asking me to do is to make a judgment on a sentencing that is still to happen. That would be inappropriate for me to do so.

“The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has protocols in place, those have recently been updated in relation to some other very well publicised cases, and therefore I’m very confident in any risk assessment SPS makes in this regard.”

Miller, who appeared by videolink from HMP Edinburgh, was remanded in custody and will appear for sentencing on August 15.

Detective Chief Inspector Bryan Burns said: “Our thoughts today are with the victim and her family, who have shown incredible courage and strength throughout this ordeal.

“This was a significant investigation and I would like to thank all those involved for their professionalism and commitment during what was an extremely challenging inquiry.

“Andrew Miller has pled guilty to serious offending and will now face the consequences of his actions.”