Former Police Scotland officer jailed for 10 yearsA former police officer in Scotland has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of raping two women and subjecting a third to years of domestic abuse, with a court ruling that only a custodial sentence reflected the gravity of his crimes.Cameron Ross, 39, carried out the offences between 2012 and 2022 in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and Inverness, targeting three women over a span of nearly a decade.Ross, who was a serving officer with Police Scotland when the offences came to light, was suspended in January 2024 after allegations surfaced. He resigned from the force last month after being found guilty by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh in May.Judge Alison Stirling sentenced Ross to 10 years in prison, stating that the seriousness of his offending left no alternative to a custodial sentence. He has also been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.Convicted of rape, domestic abuse and intimidationThe court heard that Ross raped one woman after meeting her at a party on the Isle of Lewis in 2012, pinning her to a bed before assaulting her. The survivor told the court the attack left her deeply traumatised. A second woman testified that Ross restrained her before raping her in June 2014.Ross was also convicted of carrying out a prolonged campaign of abuse against a third woman in Inverness between October 2019 and June 2022. Evidence presented during the trial showed he threatened to kill her, repeatedly shoved and dragged her, threw her to the ground and brandished a knife.In addition, he was found guilty of threatening and abusive behaviour during an incident in Inverness on June 5, 2022, where he shouted, swore and acted aggressively.The former officer was also convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice by trying to influence a woman while she was providing a witness statement to police.Police Scotland: His actions will not be toleratedFollowing the sentencing, Police Scotland's Head of Professional Standards, Chief Superintendent Helen Harrison, said the force had worked closely with prosecutors throughout the investigation.She said Ross was suspended immediately after the allegations were reported in June 2022 and would have been dismissed through gross misconduct proceedings had he remained in the service.Harrison also thanked the women who came forward, acknowledging how difficult it can be to report abuse when the accused is a police officer. She added that Police Scotland remains committed to improving its response to violence against women and girls through survivor-centred, trauma-informed investigations and strengthened misconduct procedures.Prosecutors highlight breach of public trustFaye Cook, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, described Ross's crimes as "deliberate and repeated acts of abuse" carried out over a decade.She said his actions caused significant harm and represented a serious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a police officer.Cook requested anyone affected by similar offences to come forward, stressing that prosecutors remain committed to pursuing sexual and domestic abuse cases regardless of the offender's position or profession.