A COWDENBEATH man who was convicted of raping two young girls is back behind bars after being ordered not to approach two women for 100 years.

William Walls was convicted at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on May 24 of stalking and was imprisoned for a period of 11 months.

The sheriff also handed down a 100-year non-harassment order, meaning he cannot approach either woman, nor can he enter Cowdenbeath’s Stenhouse Street, or any street that either woman ever lives on for the next century.

It is understood the order is one of the longest ever handed down in Scotland.

Walls, 51, was released from prison in November of last year having served three out of the seven years handed to him at the High Court of Glasgow back in 2017.

The Times reported on the original case of which Walls was convicted of raping and sexually abusing two girls between the ages of four and twelve-years-old.

He assaulted one girl in a tree house, a field and an abandoned house.

At the time, solicitor advocate, Gordon Martin, defending, said Walls had claimed he had suffered problems in childhood which led to him lacking appropriate social and sexual boundaries.

He added that since the crimes had been committed Walls had gone on to become a respected individual and contributing to society with family support.

Lord Beckett told Walls: "The charges of which you were convicted were serious and there was an element of breach of trust involved.

"You committed serious sexual abuse against two young children."

Fife police said that the effect of Walls' actions had led to a very damaging effect on the lives of his victims.

Detective Inspector June Peebles, of the non-recent child abuse investigations team, said: “William Walls’ predatory behaviour had a dramatic and damaging effect on the lives of his young victims.

“He sexually abused these children for his own gratification over a period of nine years.

“It is very difficult for victims of sexual abuse to find the courage to come forward to police to report these matters."

She added: “Non-recent abuse is particularly difficult since many people have the view that because it happened years ago, then it should be left in the past and nothing done about it.

“This sentencing is positive for all victims of non-recent abuse and demonstrates that regardless of how long ago abuse took place, the seriousness of such crimes does not diminish.”