A former Galashiels Paedophile church leader Stephen Charters convicted of raping a young congregant has been sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison.
Stephen Charters, 57, previously of Galashiels, assaulted his victim at hotels in Edinburgh.
He was convicted last year of nine charges, including rape and sexual assault, against four victims from November 1984 to October 2015.
He received a lifelong restriction order from the High Court in Edinburgh, with a minimum duration of five years.
Stephen Charters completed a five-year prison sentence in 2016 for sexual offences against minors.
Lady Carmichael informed him that his transgressions had inflicted “significant and lasting damage”.
“You pose a significant risk of additional sexual offenses,” she stated.
“Your capacity for change is limited.”
She emphasised that he might be incarcerated for a duration exceeding the five-year sentence issued.
Under the lifelong restriction order, Stephen Charters may only be released if parole authorities determine that continued imprisonment is no longer essential for public safety.
During his trial, Stephen Charters asserted that his sexual encounter with the youngster, who was a member of the church where he served as a worship leader, was consensual.
Defence counsel Mark Stewart QC acknowledged that reports indicated he posed a significant danger of reoffending.
He contended that he could have received a fixed prison sentence and a period of monitoring instead of the perpetual limitation order.
Alongside his incarceration, Stephen Charters was registered as a sex offender for an extended duration.
Detective Inspector Jonny Wright of Police Scotland commended the victims who contributed information for the investigation.
He stated, “Without their courage to come forward and provide testimony in court, Stephen Charters might have evaded punishment.”
“We remain dedicated to prosecuting all offenders of sexual abuse, and time will not impede our investigations.”
UPDATE
Paedophile Stephen Charters is dead, hooray:)
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.