A Stirling actor – who claimed he was once a stand-in for Brad Pitt – has been jailed for rape after he deceived a woman into believing he had used a condom while having sex.
Luke Ford, 35, was found guilty of 19 charges involving violence, sexual assault, threats and abuse against women.
Of the seven rape charges on which he was convicted, one involved behaviour known as ‘stealthing’.
The case is the first prosecution in Scotland for ‘stealthing’ – defined as not using a protective condom without a partner’s knowledge or consent, which is rape.
Ford deliberately had unprotected intercourse although the victim had only given consent to sex using condoms.
Without the woman’s knowledge or agreement, Ford did not use the contraceptive she gave him.
At the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, Ford was given a 21-year extended sentence with 16 years in custody.
His name has been added to the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
Non-harassment orders were also granted, banning Ford from contacting or attempting to contact the victims.
Nine female victims were targeted by Ford over a 12-year campaign of offending that lasted from 2008 to 2020.
Ford was said to be a jobbing actor and model who appeared in a pop video by Deacon Blue and claimed he was a stand-in for Brad Pitt on the 2013 film World War Z, part of which was shot in Glasgow.
His trial heard how he preyed on women on dating apps, first showering them with affection before financially exploiting, controlling and abusing them.
One rape victim handed him a condom prior to sex and believed he had used it.
He later admitted he had not and instructed that she should take morning-after pills or have an abortion if she became pregnant. The woman was left upset and traumatised, describing Ford’s behaviour as a “violation”.
Several victims described Ford’s abusive and controlling behaviour, which caused them to be isolated and fearful for their own safety.
Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offending, Katrina Parkes, noted the prosecution of this case.
She said: “Luke Ford is a serial offender who demonstrated no respect for the consent of his victims.
“He was prepared to use manipulation, force or threats to carry out his abuse.
“He showed disregard for the importance of consent.
“It is significant that amongst the many offences he committed our prosecutors were able to prove rape in Ford’s failure to use a condom during sex – without consent.
“This demonstrates the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Services commitment to continued development in the way sexual offences are prosecuted, using every tool at our disposal to secure justice for victims.
“I hope that the many victims in this troubling case find some relief in Ford being held accountable for his offending.
“I commend them for their courage and strength.
“And I would urge any victim of similar offending to take confidence from Ford’s conviction.
“Please come forward, report your experience and seek help.”
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.”