Man who raped five-year-old girl when he was a teenager jailed for six years

A man who raped a five-year-old girl when he was a teenager has been jailed almost 20 years on.

Brian Walker, now aged 36, raped the child at a house in Kirkcaldy, in Fife, on September 16 in 2006.

Walker, formerly of Bo’ness, in West Lothian, had denied the crime but was found guilty following a trial last month.

He wept after the jury at the High Court in Edinburgh returned its verdict and claimed in an outburst: “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it”.

Walker was jailed for six years on Wednesday.

The trial judge, Lady Haldane, said at a sentencing hearing at the court: “You have been convicted of the rape of (the victim) in September 2006 when you were aged 17 and she was only five.”

She said: “Self evidently such an experience at such a young age is likely to have long lasting effects.”

Lady Haldane said that a victim impact statement made it clear that was the case for the victim of his offending.

The judge said that Walker continued to maintain his stance of denial over the offence as was his right.

She said a background report prepared on him noted his own unsettled and traumatic childhood and that he had suffered abuse.

Lady Haldane said that Walker committed an offence that resulted in “significant harm” and added that given the nature of the crime there was no alternative to a significant prison sentence.

She told Walker that he would be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

The victim of the rape revealed what had happened to her years after the attack and police were contacted.

She suffered pain during the sexual assault and the court heard how Walker told her: “It’s okay. It’s meant to feel like that.”

Lady Haldane made a non harassment order prohibiting Walker from contacting or attempting to contact the victim.