Police praise bravery of victims after city sex attacker is jailed
A former worship leader found guilty of a series of sex attacks against four women in Edinburgh has been jailed for a minimum of five years.
Stephen Charters, formerly of Galashiels, committed the offences - including rape - between November 1984 and October 2015.
At the city's High Court earlier, the 57-year-old was given a life-long restriction order - which means he will only ever be released if parole authorities decide his imprisonment is no longer necessary for the protection of the public.
Acknowledging the sentence, Police Scotland Detective Inspector Jonny Wright said: “I would like to commend the victims for coming forward. Despite the passage of time, they were able to give us information which allowed detectives to carry out this investigation.
"Had it not been for their bravery in coming forward and giving evidence in court, Charters could have gone unpunished.
“Charters denied these crimes, but extensive work carried out by officers and partners, including the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), means that he has now been brought to justice.
“This case is an example of no matter when the incident happened, Police Scotland will always thoroughly investigate and we are here to listen and support victims and have specially trained officers to carry out enquiries.
“We continue to be committed to bringing all perpetrators of sexual abuse to justice and time is no barrier for our enquiries.
"I would urge anyone who wishes to report sexual crime, regardless of when it happened, to contact us so we can conduct a thorough and professional investigation.”