A Scottish Tinder Swindler is to be exposed in a BBC documentary, after terrorising women in Edinburgh and across Scotland.
Disclosure: Matched with a Predator will air in January. The show will detail the crimes of Christopher Harkins, 38, who was convicted and jailed last year.
Glasgow Live reports the predator preyed on women he stalked on dating apps while pretending to be a “perfect guy”. In reality, he had a sinister agenda, targeting women who were smart, attractive and career-driven.
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He painted himself as generous, successful and charming, but was really a violent, thieving rapist. He was found guilty, following a trial at the High Court in Paisley in May 2024, of raping one former partner.
Harkins was also convicted of filming two women in intimate situations without their consent before sending them the graphic content.
This episode of Disclosure tells the story of the women he targeted, their fight to be heard when their initial police complaints went nowhere, and of their search for justice against this insidious form of male violence.
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One of his victims, a financial professional, lost more than £16,000 to Harkins’ cruelty after he convinced her that he had his own currency exchange business and would pay her back.
She paid for a luxury holiday to Greece that Harkins never actually booked, and also agreed to cover what she believed were his business debts.
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The woman, from London, parted with £16,700 and has never seen a penny back from Harkins, who was a repairs manager in Drumchapel.
He was sentenced to 12 years in jail and has been added to the sex offenders register indefinitely. Non-harassment orders, preventing Harkins from contacting or attempting to contact 10 victims, have also been granted for an indefinite period.
Disclosure: Matched with a Predator airs on BBC One Scotland at 8pm on Monday, January 20.