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Victims of a “psychopathic” serial rapist have expressed their fear at learning he’s trying to overturn his prison sentence.
Allan Rotchford terrorised two women into performing humiliating sex acts by posing as an online blackmailer, and raped and sexually abused four others.
The 34-year-old was jailed for seven years in January – but now his victims have been informed he’s appealing against his conviction, the Daily Record reports.
One victim, who has asked to be identified as Jane, said: “It is a slap in the face finding out he is trying to appeal.
“He is so narcissistic, he doesn’t even think he should be punished. He is so deluded, he thinks he is the victim.”
Rotchford was convicted of 12 charges, including six rapes, two indecent assaults and two sexual assaults in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Lothian, Stirling and Ayrshire between 2009 and 2019.
He was sentenced to seven years in jail with an order for lifelong restriction at the High Court in Glasgow last week.
A psychiatric evaluation established Rotchford had “psychopathic tendencies”.
In 2017, under the guise of an anonymous blackmailer, Rotchford threatened Jane that he would post graphic pictures of her online unless she sent him images of herself performing depraved sexual acts.
He demanded she enact them both alone and with her partner – in other words, himself.
Rotchford used a bogus Facebook profile to bombard Jane with more than 6000 messages coercing her into fulfilling his sordid rape fantasies.
Assuming the role of sympathetic boyfriend, he then persuaded Jane that she had no choice but to obey her tormentor’s orders.
“I was so trapped by him,” she said. “I felt like I was in a box buried six feet under, gasping for air.”
Rotchford pleaded innocence and has never expressed remorse.
Jane said: “He will be sitting in his cell, absolutely livid that he has been branded a rapist. He has such an ego.
“The lifelong restriction will bother him above all else, because he will want to serve his time, get out and carry on with his sick sexual fantasies. But if he does, he will go back to jail.”
Rotchford preyed on one woman in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, while in a relationship with her between June 2009 and May 2011.
He was convicted of raping her, indecently assaulting her with a bottle as she slept, and filming a violent oral sex session.
Rotchford then abused a woman in Edinburgh over a three-year period from November 2013.
He used the same “blackmailer” scam on her as he would later use on Jane. After a two-year legal process and numerous delays in sentencing, his victims hoped their ordeal was over.
To secure an appeal, Rotchford has to identify that an error of law has been made to challenge the conviction and the sentence is excessive.
Another victim, who asked to be named only as Lucy, said: “I am actually not surprised he is trying to appeal.
“He will never take responsibility for what he’s done and will always think it’s his victims’ are to blame.
“His attempt to appeal just confirms he is exceptionally cruel and has psychopathic tendencies.
“He’ll never, ever change and would go on to hurt more women if he hadn’t been stopped.
“I truly believe that my life was in danger and in time he could have killed me. I look back and see that he was psychopathic.”
If you or somebody you know has been affected by this story, contact Victim Support for free, confidential advice on 0845 30 30 900 or visit their website, www.victimsupport.org.uk.
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