Fife man jailed for seven years for child sex abuse

COURT: Two girls were raped and assaulted over the course of a decade

A Fife man has been jailed for seven years for the rape and sexual abuse of two young girls.

William Walls, 47, of Cowdenbeath, repeatedly preyed on the girls over the course of a decade during the 1980s.

One was assaulted in play areas, including a tree house, a field and an abandoned house, and the other was lifted from her bed and raped on a table.

He began targeting one of the girls when he himself was only 12 years old and his abuse continued into adulthood.

At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Beckett said only a custodial sentence was appropriate for Walls, whose brother is serving a sentence for offences of the same type.

He told him: “The charges of which you were convicted were serious and there was an element of breach of trust involved. You committed serious sexual abuse against two young children.”

Walls, of Primmer Place, was convicted of four charges at his trial in the High Court in Dunfermline where his victims gave evidence.

A jury found him guilty of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards one girl between July 1981 and April 1989 and raping her several times between April 1984 and April 1989.

The other girl he subjected to lewd, indecent and libidinous practices between February 1987 and February 1991 and raped once between February 1989 and February 1991.

The first victim told the trial that Walls would target her while she was out playing with friends but she was too scared to tell anyone.

The last time he assaulted her she kicked him off and ran away as he shouted “I’m going to tell your dad”.

She only revealed the abuse years later to her husband when she kept getting flashbacks.

Defending, solicitor advocate Gordon Martin said Walls claimed he had suffered problems in childhood which led to him lacking appropriate social and sexual boundaries.

Since the crimes were committed Walls had, Mr Martin said, gone on to become a respected individual and contribute to society, with family support.

Detective Inspector June Peebles, of Police Scotland’s non-recent child abuse investigations team in Fife, praised the victims for coming forward and standing resolute despite criticism from some in the community.

Walls targeted one of the girls when he was only 12 years old.