In 2019, the Offender Database reported that William Rigby, then 53, of Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, was handed a life sentence for the “vicious” and “horrific” rape of a five-year-old girl. Rigby appeared at the High Court in Glasgow, where he pleaded guilty to a “horrible catalogue” of indecent and sexual assaults against three young girls.
The investigation by Police Scotland was triggered in October 2018 when the five-year-old victim courageously told a parent about the “vile” abuse. Although Rigby “dishonestly” claimed the child was simply “misunderstood,” officers seized his mobile phone and discovered “depraved” video clips he had filmed of himself raping the child. A further 34 indecent images were also recovered from the device.
Lifelong Restriction and Public Risk
The “serious” police investigation revealed that Rigby had been a persistent predator, abusing two other girls between 2006 and 2018. One victim was only four years old when the “vile” abuse began. Judge Lady Stacey emphasised that Rigby had “betrayed the trust of a family” and posed an ongoing “serious” risk to the public.
Lady Stacey sentenced Rigby to an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR), a form of life sentence in Scotland used for the most “vicious” offenders. While a punishment of seven years was set, the judge emphasised that he would only be released if he was no longer deemed a danger to young girls—a prospect she noted might never happen.
Indefinite Monitoring
As a result of his “vile” convictions for child rape and sexual assault, William Rigby has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. He is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Police Scotland, ensuring that if he is ever released from prison, his behaviour in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, and the wider region is under the most “serious” lifelong scrutiny.
Detective Inspector Steve Martin praised the “courage and strength” of the survivors, noting that the abuse displayed by Rigby was some of the “worst” his officers had ever seen.
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