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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Lynn Love & Jane Hamilton

Scots sex beast William King threatened to kill victim if he told 'little secret'

A man who was abused by a notorious sex offender claims the paedophile threatened to kill him if he told of their "little secret".

The victim, who was 12 years old when he was subjected to horrific abuse by William King, has hit out at the 'pathetic' six year sentence handed down to the 57-year-old beast at the High Court in Glasgow last week.

King preyed on two girls and a boy in Edinburgh and Dalgety Bay in Fife between 1982 and 2000.

The victim, who asked to remain anonymous, fears King will be freed in just a few years after 'destroying lives for two decades'.

Speaking to the Record, the 34-year-old said: "I'm absolutely gutted and appalled.

"Six pathetic years. He'll likely be out in three. Free to mess up other peoples lives, like he did mine.

"20 years I've waited for justice and for him to get this sentence is a kick in the teeth.

"I feel so let down by the whole system."

Beast King had earlier been convicted of a total of three charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour towards the youngsters.

He had previously been jailed for five years in 2016 in a high profile abuse case, in which a victim waived her right to anonymity to speak publicly of her ordeal.

Speaking about the abuse, the man claimed King threatened to kill him if he told his parents.

"He would say to me, 'this is our little secret' and say he would kill me if I told anyone. I was terrified and really believed he would," he said.

"He was so aggressive and frightening. I was just a wee guy. I was scared of him."

"What he did to me when I was a young boy shaped my life. I struggled to cope emotionally and blamed everyone around me.

"I was put into care because of my behaviour. I've been in and out of prison. He messed me up. I was a wee boy and I didn't know how to cope or deal with what he did to me.

"It's taken me years to come to terms and deal with what happened. I refuse to let him ruin any more years of my life."

The man said the birth of his son eight years ago forced him to turn his life around.

He added: "He gave me a purpose and made me realise that I needed to grow up. I want him to have a better life than I did."

One of King's female victim's said last week that his sentence was a "slap in the face for everyone who has waited years" for justice.

The victim, who we have not identified, said: "Some have waited 40 years for this day and although the police did an amazing job along with the PF staff we feel slapped in the teeth and insulted by this very unjust sentence for an already convicted sex offender.

"I'm confused that the judge can give him such an easy sentence after he was found guilty."

The woman added: "He is a predator who didn’t 'groom' his chosen children, he just took what he wanted from us.

"Some of us for years and some once but once is one time too many for an adult to take such a liberty of taking a child’s innocence.

"He didn’t care about the level of sexual abuse he inflicted on us all nor did he care how these actions would affect us into adulthood.

"He was methodical in all his actions and then he would give rewards and gestures for complicity. It is disgusting.

"What kind of justice system allows a predator to appeal their sentence but not the victim? This is wrong."

Judge Alison Stirling told the court on Monday that the victim impact statement from one of the girls King abused was "particularly poignant".

This victim had also described "significant psychological suffering".

King was also put on the sex offenders list indefinitely.

He had been found guilty following an earlier trial in Stirling.

King initially made headlines six years ago when he was jailed for the sexual abuse of young girls.

Dana Fowley was one of the victims and she later went on to write a book called 'How could she?' about what happened.

Her mother Caroline Dunsmore was sentenced to 12 years in 2007 in a separate case for her role in the abuse.

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