Man 35 jailed for 16 years after subjecting numerous women to violent and sexual abuse

A 35-year-old man has been jailed for 16 years after subjecting numerous women to violent and sexual abuse.

Luke Ford was sentenced today at the High Court in Edinburgh and will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

He is also the first person to be convicted of ‘stealthing’ in Scotland. He told women he was having sex with that he was using a condom when in fact he was deceiving them.

Luke Ford came to the attention of police in June 2020 after officers attended an address in Edinburgh following a report of an assault.

An investigation was subsequently launched with officers discovering Ford had targeted several other women over an extended period.

Through enquiries, officers meticulously built a case against him, and he was arrested and charged in February 2021.

In May 2023 he was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow 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.”