Brutal rapist who attacked women via dating apps sentenced to 12 years in prison

A “manipulative and violent” rapist who defrauded women of more than £200,000 through romance scams has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Christopher Harkins, 37, targeted women on dating websites and tried to gain their trust by posing as a successful businessman.

He then claimed to have problems with his bank account being blocked and asked some of his victims to lend him money for a short period of time.

Several women borrowed significant sums to help Harkins. The perpetrator left a “trail of emotional devastation and financial hardship,” as the judge described it.

On 16 January, he pleaded guilty to fraud charges at the High Court in Glasgow.

Following a trial at the High Court in Paisley in May, Harkins was found guilty of raping a woman and was also convicted of filming two women in intimate situations without their consent and then sending them the graphic content.

Judge Alistair Watson sentenced Harkins to 12 years in prison at the High Court in Kilmarnock on Wednesday.

He said Harkins committed 19 separate crimes against ten different victims over a period of almost six years and defrauded nine of those victims of more than £214,000.

The judge said: “The damage you have caused is extremely high. Many of your victims have been deprived of all or part of their personal savings, leaving some in financial difficulty.”

“These scams are commonly referred to as romance scams.

“This is a special type of scam that takes advantage of a person’s compassion and feelings. Your fabricated requests and explanations as to why you need money were actually calculated tricks designed to exploit the decency of these women.

“Devastating psychological impact”

“It is clear that this particular type of fraud can have devastating psychological effects on victims, not to mention the financial losses.”

Harkins, from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, also persuaded some of the women to send him money for the holiday by sending them screenshots of the alleged travel destinations.

He persuaded them to cover half the costs, but never booked the trips and did not return most of the funds given to him.

His crimes occurred between 2013 and 2019 in the areas of Airdrie, Cumbernauld, Dumbarton, East Kilbride, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paisley and Stirling, the Crown Office said.

The 37-year-old’s name has been placed on the sex offenders’ registry indefinitely and restraining orders have been issued prohibiting Harkins from contacting or attempting to contact ten victims.

Katrina Parkes, Scotland’s High Court sex offender prosecutor, said: “Christopher Harkins clearly poses an extreme danger to women due to his calculating, manipulative and violent behaviour.

“Hopefully this conviction will provide some comfort to the women he targeted while also protecting others from his reprehensible schemes and depraved actions.”