Stephen Charters: serial rapist dies in prison just days into new jail sentence

A serial rapist has died in prison days after being jailed for sex offences against four women.

Stephen Charters, 57, had been sentenced to five years in prison and given an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) meaning he would have been subject to conditions and monitoring for the rest of his life.

He was given the sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh on 13 June for a string of sex offences including raping a teenager.

The offences took place between November 1984 and October 2015.

Charters, a former worship leader in Fife, had previously been jailed in 2016 for five years for sex offences against children - including rape.

Fatal Accident Inquiry will be held

The offences took place between 1977, when Charters was just 12 years old, and 1997.

He was an inmate at HMP Edinburgh when he was found dead on 19 June.

A statement from the Scottish Prison Service said: “Police Scotland have been advised and the matter reported to the Procurator Fiscal. A Fatal Accident Inquiry will be held in due course.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said his death is not being treated as suspicious.

Speaking after he was sentenced Detective Inspector Jonny Wright had said: “I would like to commend the victims for coming forward.

“Despite the passage of time, they were able to give us information which allowed detectives to carry out this investigation. Had it not been for their bravery in coming forward and giving evidence in court, Charters could have gone unpunished.”