Dumfries and Galloway sex offender Kenneth Davidson jailed
A serial sex offender who preyed on vulnerable women and teenagers across Dumfries and Galloway has been jailed for eight years.
Kenneth Davidson, 30, raped two women and tried to rape a teenager as well as molesting another underage girl.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Jones told him they were "serious offences" all involving vulnerable girls or women.
He jailed him and placed him on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Lord Jones said Davidson had denied the offences and "showed no recognition of the impact of the offences on the victims".
He said Davidson had a long record of offending dating back to when he was 16.
Davidson, described as a prisoner in Dumfries, had been convicted of the two rapes and attempted rape after a trial.
He admitted the further charge of indecency towards the underage girl between 2002 and 2004.
He was acquitted of further charges of rape and assault.
He tried to rape the 15-year-old at a house in Dalbeattie in 2006, before attacking the first rape victim at an address in Stranraer in 2008 and raping a second woman at a house in Lockerbie in 2010.
The court heard that one woman has been left "shell-shocked" by his attack and cried herself to sleep.
Advocate depute Paul Kearney said: "She told you that the memory has not left her.
"It is always there for her."
'Life of fear'
Defence counsel Matt Jackson said Davidson maintained his position of innocence but he added that he realised that he faced a lengthy prison sentence.
"He is braced for that," he said.
"He will undertake any opportunities made available to him in terms of education," said Mr Jackson.
Supt Mike Leslie, operational commander for V Division Dumfries and Galloway, welcomed the sentence.
"His conviction and sentence today is testament to the courage of those young women who were able to finally speak up against him and report the abuse they had suffered," he said.
"We would encourage anyone who is suffering, or has suffered abuse to come forward and report it.
"There is help available and you do not need to suffer in silence. No-one should live a life in fear."