An actor who claimed he was ‘Brad Pitt‘s body double’ has been jailed for rapes – including for secretly not using a condom.
Luke Ford, 35, was found guilty of 19 charges involving violence, sexual assault, threats and abuse against women.
One of the seven rape charges he was convicted of involved behaviour referred to as ‘stealthing’.
This term means to not use a condom without a partner’s knowledge or consent.
Ford, of Stirling, was found to have deliberately had unprotected sex despite the woman only agreeing to sex with a condom.
He was given a 21-year extended sentence with 16 years in custody at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, the Crown Office said.
Non-harassment orders were also granted, banning Ford from contacting or attempting to contact the women.
It was heard Ford targeted nine female victims over a 12-year campaign of offending that lasted from 2008 to 2020.
Luke Ford, 35, was found guilty of 19 charges involving violence, sexual assault, threats and abuse against women
One rape victim gave him a condom before they sex and believed he had used it. However he later admitted he had not and told her she should take morning-after pills or have an abortion if she ended up pregnant.
The court heard the woman was left upset and traumatised by the experience, with Ford’s behaviour described as being a ‘violation’.
A number of other victims also described his abusive and controlling behaviour, which isolated them from their friends and family and made them fear for their own safety.
Katrina Parkes, procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offending, said: ‘Luke Ford is a serial offender who demonstrated no respect for the consent of his victims.
‘He was prepared to use manipulation, force or threats to carry out his abuse. He showed disregard for the importance of consent between partners.
‘It is significant that amongst the many offences he committed our prosecutors were able to prove rape in Ford’s failure to use a condom during sex – without the consent of his then-partner.
One of the seven rape charges he was convicted of involved behaviour referred to as ‘stealthing
‘This demonstrates the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s commitment to continued development in the way sexual offences are prosecuted, using every tool at our disposal to secure justice for victims.
‘I hope that the many victims in this troubling case find some relief in Ford being held accountable for his offending. I commend them for their courage and strength.
‘I would urge any victim of similar offending to take confidence from Ford’s conviction. Please come forward, report your experience and seek help.’
Ford first came to the police’s attention in June 2020 after they attended an address in Edinburgh following a report of an assault.
After an investigation was launched officers found he targeted several other women over an extended period of time.
Police arrested Ford and he was charged in February 2021 and convicted at the High Court in Glasgow in May 2023 of numerous offences, including rape, attempted rape, multiple assaults and being in possession of extreme sexual abuse images.
Ford watched the movie America Psycho hundreds of times and could quote, verbatim, chilling dialogue from the titular character Patrick Bateman
Detective Inspector Steven Gray said: ‘Ford is a dangerous and manipulative sexual predator.
‘I would like to acknowledge how hard this has been for those involved and to also tell them that their testimonies vastly contributed to Ford being convicted.
‘I hope that knowing he is now behind bars for his crimes helps them continue to move forward with their lives.
‘Anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault or abuse should contact us.
‘Please be assured that we will do everything we can to ensure we arrest the perpetrators of such crimes.’
Ford used dating apps as a hunting ground to target professional women he could exploit sexually and financially.
The actor has an infatuation with the movie America Psycho.
He had watched the film hundreds of times and could quote, verbatim, chilling dialogue from the titular character Patrick Bateman.
Even on his social media profile picture, Ford replicated the movie poster – his head thrown back in the same demonic scream as in the promotional image of Bateman, played by Christian Bale.