A sex fiend has been convicted of a catalogue of offences against women he met on dating apps. Christopher Harkins preyed on women in a six-year reign of terror.
He was convicted of a number of serious sexual and violent offences, including rape, at the High Court in Paisley today, four months after he admitted financial abuse offences.
The 37-year-old targeted a number of women across Scotland with victims in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Inverclyde, Edinburgh, Stirling, Paisley and West Lothian, between 2013 and 2019.
A proactive investigation into Harkins commenced in October 2019 by Police Scotland’s Domestic Abuse Task Force and he was slammed by police for his actions following his conviction.
He is due to be sentenced in July.
Detective Inspector Iain Renfrew said: "Christopher Harkins is a violent and contemptable individual who preyed on woman looking for love and companionship.
"He made them believe they were in a loving and exclusive relationship but that was nowhere near the truth. His only motive was money.
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"Harkins met the woman through a dating app and once he had formed relationships with them he turned to manipulation, threats, coercive control and violence to obtain thousands of pounds which he used to fund his very lavish lifestyle.
"The fact that he had been convicted is a tremendous credit to the women who came forward to police. Their testimony is why he has been convicted today.
"This case highlights that domestic abuse is not just physical or sexual, it includes abusive behaviours or financial abuse. It is often about power and control and can have life changing consequences for victims.
"We sincerely hope that today’s conviction gives confidence to others who may experience anything similar to come forward, safe in the knowledge that police will investigate."
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