Dillon Anderson, 21, Sentenced to Nine Years for Rape

A judge has sentenced Dillon Anderson, 21, to nine years in prison for a horrifying campaign of rape and abuse against four young women. The attacks began when Anderson was just 14 years old.

Lady Poole, the presiding judge, praised the bravery of the victims in coming forward and giving evidence. "The sexual violence you perpetrated is disturbing," she said to Anderson, noting that one victim lost consciousness due to his strangulation attempts. "When she came round, there were times you were having sex with her. There were other times when she came to, and you said you thought she'd died and laughed, or you were checking her pulse because you thought she might have died. These were terrifying experiences."

The court heard how Anderson often choked his victims during sexual assaults. One victim made a covert recording of Anderson attacking her, capturing her screams and pleas for him to stop. Anderson can be heard laughing maniacally as he ignored her pleas. He also subjected another victim to unwanted attention, bombarding her with calls and social media messages.

In addition to the prison sentence, Anderson was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and ordered not to contact his victims for 25 years. Lady Poole stated, "Your victims have suffered long term effects from what you did to them, and deserve to be protected from you."

The court also heard how Anderson physically restrained a 14-year-old girl and raped her. He also repeatedly raped an 18-year-old girl and a 19-year-old student from Edinburgh University.

Anderson's defense attorney, Iain McSporran QC, suggested that Anderson was beginning to understand the impact of his actions and showed some remorse. However, the judge emphasized the severity of his crimes and the lasting emotional scars they have left on his victims.