A man in Glasgow was reported to police multiple times before finally being jailed for his crimes against women he met online
Glasgow: A man named Christopher Harkins was reported to the police nine times before he was finally arrested. He targeted women he met on dating apps for years.
Over six years, he committed various crimes, including sexual and financial offenses. He was finally sentenced to twelve years in prison in July 2024.
Harkins, 38, presented himself as the ideal partner online. He seemed charming and successful, but he was actually a violent predator.
He recorded intimate videos of women without their consent and threatened them. Despite multiple reports, police didn’t take action at first.
One victim lost over £3,000 to him for a fake holiday. She felt frustrated and let down by the police response when she sought help.
Another woman shared her experience of being manipulated and assaulted by Harkins. She described feeling uncomfortable and scared during their encounters.
Harkins was convicted of 19 offenses, including rape and fraud. He defrauded nine women out of more than £214,000.
Now, he’s on the sex offenders register and has non-harassment orders preventing him from contacting his victims.
Police Scotland acknowledged the past failures in handling the reports. They noted that the nature of the complaints led to them being treated as civil matters.
DCI Lyndsay Laird, who led the investigation, expressed hope that such experiences wouldn’t happen again in the future.
