A former member of a religious sex cult is facing jail for sexually and physically abusing children on the so-called orders of God.

Former Paisley/Dumbarton man Alexander Watt - dubbed a "model citizen" - was a member of a group called 'The Children of God', or 'The Family', which supported "free love" and the "very strict discipline of children."

The cult also taught that "God is love, love is sex and God's love shall not be restricted by age or relationship."

Father-of-ten Watt, 68, abused two children in the central belt in Scotland in the 1980s and admitted his guilt over the abuse at Paisley Sheriff Court this week.

The court heard Watt, who lives in Lyon Cottage, was a member of 'The Children of God' and told police probing his abuse of his victims that he had been "very much into a hippy religious sect in the 1960s and 70s."

Procurator Fiscal Depute David McDonald explained: "Publicly available information of the organisation, which is also supported by the complainers and witnesses in this case, suggest this was a 'sex cult'.

"The organisation believed in 'free love' and in the early years there appears to have been no structures on sex, regardless of age or relationship.

"The rules of the organisation changed around 1986 when sexual contact between adults and children became an 'excommunicable offence'.

"The organisation also advocated very strict discipline of children."

Watt sexually abuse his first victim, who can't be named for legal reasons, when she was aged between four and eight.

She told police she remembered lying naked on a bed in a house when she was four or five and that Watt kissed her neck, shoulders, down her back and her bottom - leaving her confused and in floods of tears.

The second sexual incident with Watt happened when she was seven or eight and he cornered her in a bedroom, exposing his penis and forcing her to touch it.

She was also physically assaulted by Watt, leaving her with bruises and needing cream to be applied to heal the wounds and told police that, "the other main policy the cult had was, 'spare the rod, spoil the child'."

Mr McDonald, prosecuting, explained: "She took this took mean that they encouraged corporal punishment."

Watt went on to sexually and physically assault a boy between 1984 and 1989, when the boy was aged between six and 11, hitting him with items of clothing and accessories he used as weapons.

The boy, who can't be named for legal reasons, said he was "sometimes left with bruises and there were always raised, red marks" after he'd been struck, and would sometimes be hit until he "screamed" in pain.

He told police of two times he was sexually assaulted, with both incidents taking place in a bathroom.

The first saw Watt tickling the boy's privates when he was aged between seven and nine, leaving the boy feeling "a bit weird."

The second saw him tickle the boy's body and genitals again - with the boy tickling him back on his body after being directed there by Watt and Watt telling him: "it was nothing to be embarrassed about."

The boy first reported the abuse to police in Aberdeen in March 2005 - but nothing was done until the girl went to Police Scotland in November 2015 to also report the abuse.

Watt was the detained and interviewed by police about it.

Mr McDonald explained: "He said he was very much into a hippy religious sect in the '60s and '70s which was very much into imparting early years sex education meant for people's knowledge and welfare.

"It was perhaps more European freedom about sexual things.

"He was very, very sorry that the whole situation didn't work out well and some of the children were quite upset and unhappy.

"They had a lot of open attitudes to body parts and awareness of what they were, which could be seen as wrong by British society."

And, when asked if he partook in sexual abuse of children, he said: "I think it was part of the schedule [of teachings]."

Watt had been facing five charges but pleaded guilty to four - sexually abusing the girl, assaulting the girl, sexually assaulting the boy, and assaulting the boy - in exchange for the fifth, which related to another male child, being dropped.

Defence Advocate Joseph Barr said Watt was remorseful over his conduct but had only sexually abused the children because he was a part of the cult.

He explained: "The pleas tendered today are a heartfelt apology to the complainers.

"Mr Watt recognises the distress he caused them during their childhood years and he totally regrets that.

"He was a fully paid up member - he believed in their teachings.

"The group advocated all body parts education for children.

"As he puts it, he followed their teachings.

"That's what gives rise to these charges and these pleas today.

"His position is he was not doing it for his own sexual gratification nor with the intention to corrupt.

"Since he left the sect he has lived quite a remarkable life.

"He has received certain recommendations, commendations and awards for his work with children.

"Effectively he's been a model citizen throughout his working life."

Sheriff James Spy warned Watt he could be jailed for the offences, continued his bail, and deferred sentence for background reports to be prepared by social workers and professionals who work with sex offenders.

As he did so, he said: "These are serious charges and could well lead to a custodial sentence."

Actors River Phoenix and Joaquin Phoenix were raised in the cult, as was Juliana Buhring, the first woman to cycle around the world, and actress Rose McGowan.

River Phoenix, who died of a drug overdose in 1993, said in a 1991 interview the cult were "ruining people's lives."

Watt, who lived in Dumbarton when he was charged with the offences but has since moved to Maybole in Ayrshire, will learn his fate in December.

His only previous conviction is when he was jailed in the 1970s for a politically-motivated bank robbery, which it's understood was committed to help fund a radical political organisation he was involved with at the time.