A Fife man who preyed on young girls, including one who went on to write a book about the horrific childhood abuse she suffered, has been jailed for five years.
William King had sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old girl and forced another underage child to perform oral sex on him during years of abuse committed two decades ago.
A judge told King, 52, at the High Court in Edinburgh: “I have determined there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”
Lady Wolffe told him she had to mark “society’s abhorrence” at such sexual abuse committed over a number of years towards girls who were vulnerable because of their age.
King had denied the offences but was convicted of three sex charges, although he was acquitted of a further charge of rape on a not proven verdict.
When King was convicted earlier this year, one of the victims, Dana Fowley — who waived her right to anonymity — said outside the court: “I am delighted. I have been waiting 19 years for this.”
She said she had first reported the offending to police in 1997 and during evidence in court detailed some of the other abuse she had suffered as a child at the hands of King’s late father, Billy senior, his grandparents, her mother and other accomplices.
She said: “There were more abuse days than normal days.” She said her step-father Billy King began abusing her at about the age of five.
“He was raping me. He was forcing me to have oral sex with him,” she said.
Ms Fowley, 36, told jurors how her mother was jailed for her part in the abuse along with others. Caroline Dunsmore was aged 43 when she sentenced to 12 years in 2007. John O’Flaherty was aged 50 when he was sentenced to 13 years and Morris ‘Mo’ Petch was also 50 when he was given a life sentence the same year.
She said: “It all came out in dribble drabbles. Eventually it all came out and that was it, I went to the police.”
A book on her experiences called “How could she?” was later published.
Sales representative King, of Diamond Grove, Dunfermline, was convicted of sexually abusing her between August 1992 and June 1995 at houses in Edinburgh and Fife and having unlawful sexual intercourse with her as a 12-year-old child.
He was also found guilty of indecency towards a second girl whom he preyed on from the age of seven from 1990 until she was 10 in 1994 at houses in Edinburgh and Fife, molesting her and forcing her to perform oral sex on him. He had also been accused of raping the second victim, but was acquitted on that charge.
King was earlier placed on the sex offenders register.
