A DUNFERMLINE sex abuser who preyed on young girls, including one who went on to write a book about the horrific childhood abuse she suffered, was jailed for five years today (Friday).

William King had sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old girl and forced another underage child to perform oral sex on him during years of abuse committed two decades ago.

A judge told King, 52, at the High Court in Edinburgh: "I have determined there is no alternative to a custodial sentence."

Lady Wolffe told him she had to mark "society's abhorrence" at such sexual abuse committed over a number of years towards girls who were vulnerable because of their age.  

The dad-of-two had denied the offences but was convicted of three sex charges, although he was acquitted of a further charge of rape on a not proven verdict.

Sales rep King, of Diamond Grove, Dunfermline, was convicted of sexually abusing Dana Fowley, now 36, who waived her right to anonymity, between August 1992 and June 1995 at houses in Edinburgh and Inverkeithing and having unlawful sexual intercourse with her as a 12-year-old child.

He was also found guilty of indecency towards a second girl whom he preyed on from the age of seven  from 1990 until she was 10 in 1994 at houses in Edinburgh and Inverkeithing, molesting her and forcing her to perform oral sex on him.

He had also been accused of raping the second victim but was acquitted on that charge.

Dana Fowley earlier said outside the court: "I am delighted. I have been waiting 19 years for this."

She said she had first reported the offending to police in 1997.

She said: "There were more abuse days than normal days." She said her stepfather, Billy King, began abusing her at about the age of five. "He was raping me. He was forcing me to have oral sex with him," she said.

A book on her experiences called 'How could she?' was later published.

She said King junior had come into her life because of his father and was aware of her age. She said she was aged about 12-and-a-half after she "chummed" him to his house in the Granton area of Edinburgh and he started kissing her.

"I think by the time I got to 12 nothing shocked me in life," she told the court. She said King went on to have intercourse with her. "He told me this might hurt a wee bit and had sex with me.

"This was just a normal day to me to be honest," she said. She added King junior would phone and make arrangements to meet her and would take her to his house or out in the car.

"I wasn't screaming and bawling but I was only 12," she told advocate depute Shanti Maguire. "He would tell me he was leaving his wife for me. He told me he loved me. He gave me a ring."

She described the behaviour she encountered as "perfect grooming". 

She said on one occasion his wife had phoned and King junior was out of breath but he had claimed he had to run up the road for cat food.

The 32-year-old said the abuse had been "devastating" and added: "I never, ever forget. I live with this every single day." 

Defence counsel Ronnie Renucci challenged a background report prepared on King over a claim that the likelihood of his re-offending remained high.

He said: "He accepts that a custodial sentence is inevitable. He accepts the verdict of the jury. He does not agree with it."

King was earlier placed him on the sex offenders' register.