Inverness market trader who faked his own death jailed for 15 years
Kim Avis was found guilty of raping three of his victims and sexually assaulted a fourth when she was 11 years old.
Last updated 11th Jun 2021
An Inverness market trader will serve 15 years behind bars after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault.
Kim Avis, also known as Gordon, fled to California in 2019 and faked his own death, before he was tracked down by US marshals in July that year.
He was extradited before being found guilty of raping three women and trying to rape one of them when she was 12.
The 57-year-old was also found of guilty sexually assaulting a girl when she was 11.
Avis was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh earlier today after being convicted of 14 charges in total - he had denied all of them.
The offences took place mostly in Inverness between 2006 and 2017.
Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences Fraser Gibson said: "This has been a difficult and complex investigation for all those involved. I would like to commend the victims for their bravery in coming forward.
"Kim Avis went to great lengths to evade justice for his crimes.
"Thanks to the efforts of police and prosecutors, working together with US law enforcement, he has been brought to justice and sentenced today.
"As this case shows, we prosecute sexual crime effectively and fairly. I would urge anyone who has been the victim of such offending to report it to police and seek support."