A Fraserburgh man who raped a 13-year-old girl during a brutal assault in Liverpool has been jailed for 11 years.
Alan Williams, a petty criminal since he was a child, was visiting his sick mother south of the border when he struck.
He was sofa-surfing his way around Merseyside during his visit and had been left home alone by one of his hosts.
He used that to his advantage to prey upon the teenager, taking advantage of her youth and an absent mother to partially undress and then rape her as she pretended to sleep.
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The traumatised teen eventually climbed out of a bathroom window and shinned precariously down a drainpipe to escape him.
She then fled, barefoot, to the safety of her grandmother’s home. The police were alerted to the offence a short time later.
Williams denied abusing the 13-year-old, forcing his victim to go through the ordeal of giving evidence at a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Jurors were unmoved by Williams’ denials, however, and the 44-year-old, of Cross Street in Fraserburgh, was convicted of rape, two offences of sexual assault and one of assault.
The trial had heard the girl was in the home and dozing on a sofa when she felt Williams begin to touch her.
Prosecutor Robert Dudley said she had pretended to be asleep but Williams, who had partly undressed her, then raped her.
Jailing him and ordering him to sign the sex offenders register for life, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said the victim was particularly vulnerable because of her family background and her age.
He was told the defendant had previous convictions, and had a suspended sentence for battery hanging over him at the time, but had not committed similar offences.
Mr Dudley described Williams as a “persistent petty criminal” who had begun using cannabis at the age of 13.
Following the sentencing, DC Billy Williamson of the Merseyside Police Unity Team – the force’s specialist rape investigation unit – said: “This is a truly awful offence which has devastated a young child.
“I want to praise her bravery for coming forward and allowing us to investigate, which has ultimately led us to bring Williams to justice.
“At such a young age, there is no doubt that this has and will have a significant impact on her life but I hope with our continued support, she’ll overcome this.
“She has already shown strength and determination to overcome this ordeal and I hope this sentencing allows her and her family to regain some sense of normality and closure in order to move on with their lives.”
He added: “Rape is a very personal crime, which many victims understandably struggle to come to terms with and often don’t speak out.
“I hope this sentencing encourages others to confide in us, allowing us to take dangerous individuals off our streets.
“I’d urge anyone who has been sexually assaulted or raped to reach out to someone they trust.”