A man has been jailed for rape after he duped a woman into believing he had used a condom while they were having sex in the first prosecution of its kind in Scotland.
Luke Ford, 35, of Stirling, was found guilty of 19 charges involving violence, sexual assault, threats and abuse against women.
One of the seven rape charges he was convicted of involved behaviour referred to as “stealthing”, which is defined as failing to use a condom without a partner’s knowledge or consent.
Ford was found to have deliberately had unprotected sex despite the woman only agreeing to sex with a condom.
He was given a 21-year extended sentence with 16 years in custody at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, the Crown Office said.
The court heard Ford targeted nine female victims over a 12-year campaign of offending that lasted from 2008 to 2020.
Non-harassment orders were also granted, banning Ford from contacting or attempting to contact the women.
The court heard one rape victim handed him a condom prior to sex and believed he had used it.
He only later admitted he had not and told her she should take morning-after pills or have an abortion if she ended up pregnant.
The court heard the woman was left upset and traumatised by the experience, with Ford’s behaviour described as being a “violation”.
Several victims also described Ford’s abusive and controlling behaviour, which isolated them from their friends and family and made them fear for their own safety.
Katrina Parkes, procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offending, said: “Luke Ford is a serial offender who demonstrated no respect for the consent of his victims.
“He was prepared to use manipulation, force or threats to carry out his abuse. He showed disregard for the importance of consent between partners.
“It is significant that amongst the many offences he committed our prosecutors were able to prove rape in Ford’s failure to use a condom during sex – without the consent of his then-partner.
“This demonstrates the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s commitment to continued development in the way sexual offences are prosecuted, using every tool at our disposal to secure justice for victims.
“I hope that the many victims in this troubling case find some relief in Ford being held accountable for his offending. I commend them for their courage and strength.
“I would urge any victim of similar offending to take confidence from Ford’s conviction. Please come forward, report your experience and seek help.”
Police Scotland said Ford came to the attention of officers in June 2020 after they attended an address in Edinburgh following a report of an assault.
An investigation was launched, and police found Ford had targeted several other women over an extended period.
He was arrested and charged in February 2021 and convicted at the High Court in Glasgow in May 2023 of numerous offences, including rape, attempted rape, multiple assaults and being in possession of extreme sexual abuse images.
Detective Inspector Steven Gray said: “Ford is a dangerous and manipulative sexual predator.
“I would like to acknowledge how hard this has been for those involved and to also tell them that their testimonies vastly contributed to Ford being convicted.
“I hope that knowing he is now behind bars for his crimes helps them continue to move forward with their lives.
“Anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault or abuse should contact us.
“Please be assured that we will do everything we can to ensure we arrest the perpetrators of such crimes.”
