Rapist John Dutch jailed for eight years for spate of sex offences in Angus

A rapist was told by a judge that "no means no" and he would "pay a heavy price for not listening to and respecting" his victims' wishes.

John Dutch, 20, was jailed for eight years for a catalogue of sex offences committed against six girls across Angus between 2019 and 2022.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Dutch raped two of his victims.

A jury heard how he abducted a 14-year-old girl and detained her against her will before driving to a secluded area and raping her.

Dutch used a phone to record himself sexually assaulting a girl. He also sexually assaulted a nine-year-old schoolgirl when he thought she was sleeping.

Dutch was eventually arrested after police became aware of his activities.

On Thursday, Lord Mulholland said he preyed on "young, vulnerable and impressionable" girls.

The judge said Dutch put the 14-year-old victim through a "horrific ordeal" by raping her multiple times.

Lord Mulholland said: "When her ordeal was over you then threw her shoe at her and drove off leaving her to find her own way home as if she was a piece of rubbish to be discarded and thrown away when you were finished with her.

"When she got home, she wrote down what you did to her, and this spoke powerfully of you raping her."

The judge said a girl "has the right to say no".

He added: "No means no. That is the law.

"You will pay a heavy price for not listening to and respecting their wishes."

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Dutch had denied any wrongdoing, but his victims gave evidence at a trial last month which saw him convicted of a raft of charges including abduction, assault and rape, sexual assault, breaching bail conditions, and road traffic offences.

Dutch, of Montrose, will be supervised for two years upon his release from prison and has also been added to the sex offenders' register for life.

Passing sentence, Lord Mulholland highlighted how Dutch engaged in "victim blaming" during the preparation of a criminal justice social work report.

He said: "You have an appalling attitude towards women.

"All the victims in this case, young girls, are brave to have stood up and told the jury what you did to them. In convicting you, the jury believed them and disbelieved you."