Man who filmed himself raping five-year-old girl given life sentence Published duration 15 October 2019

image copyright Spindrift image caption William Rigby admitted sexually assaulting three girls

A man who filmed himself raping a five-year-old girl has been given a life sentence because of the risk he poses to young girls.

William Rigby, 53, attacked the girl at a house in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, in October 2018.

When she told a parent, Rigby claimed the girl was "misunderstood" but was later held by police.

He pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to charges of indecent and sexual assault against three girls.

Judge Lady Stacey placed Rigby on an order for lifelong restriction and ordered that the punishment part should be seven years.

But she told him: "That does not mean you will be released then. It may be you are never released. You will be in prison until there is any hope of you not being a danger to young girls."

Video clips

Lady Stacey added: "You are guilty of a horrible catalogue of offences. What you did was betray the trust of a family and what you did harmed these children.

"You present a risk to the public and are likely to continue to do so even after work is done with you."

The court had heard that police officers seized Rigby's mobile phone after the young rape victim told a parent.

They found a series of indecent video clips of him with the girl.

Prosecutor Margaret Barron told the court this included him raping the child.

A further 34 indecent images of children were also discovered.

A police investigation found he had also abused two others girls between 2006 and 2018.

One was aged four when it began, the other was six.

Det Insp Steve Martin, of Police Scotland's public protection unit, praised the "courage and strength" of Rigby's victims.

He added: "The abuse displayed by Rigby towards his victims was horrific and some of the worst my officers have seen."

Related Topics Helensburgh