Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault and manipulation which some readers may find distressing.
A 35-year-old man who said he worked as Brad Pitt's body double has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for a string of sex attacks.
Who is Luke Ford?
Ford, from Scotland, is listed on IMDb as an actor and member of additional crew who has had uncredited roles in titles such as Mary Queen of Scots and The Dark Knight Rises.
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He is also listed as a 'stand-in/double' in Brad Pitt's 203 movie World War Z, and has been reported as having worked as the double for the A-list actor himself when the movie was shooting in Glasgow.
Last year, Ford, was found guilty of a series of offences after he underwent a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
What was Ford found guilty of?
During Ford's trial, jurors heard how the actor subject his victims to physical, mental and sexual abuse over a 12-year period between 2008 and 2020.
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Ford was found to have targeted women on dating apps and showered them with affection before he began financially exploiting, controlling and abusing them.
One of the attacks involved what is known as 'stealthing', which is when a condom is intentionally removed during sex without the consent of the sexual partner.
Ford's convictions also included a number of assaults such as strangling and smashing one partner's head off a car window. He was found to have taken intimate videos and photographs of partners often in secret, and then used them to threaten them.
He was also found to be in possession of extreme pornographic images involving bestiality.
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After going to trial, Ford was convicted of 19 charges of abusing nine female partners, including six counts of rape and one count of attempted rape. He was handed a 21-year extended sentence with 16 years in custody, and has also had his name added to the sex offenders register.
What have survivors said?
One of Ford's victims spoke anonymously to STV News and claimed Ford had been 'quite obsessed with Brad Pitt'.
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“He genuinely thought he was going to be the next Brad Pitt," the woman said. "I think there were multiple stunt doubles, but the way that he spun it – it looked like he was Brad Pitt’s one-and-only stunt double.
“But he became fixated with that time, and then he modelled his hair on Brad Pitt.”
A female psychologist, who met Ford on Tinder in 2017, recalled how she had handed Ford a condom before they had sex, but he later revealed he hadn't used it.
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"I was shocked and upset. I would not have had sex with him without a condom. I asked him to leave. I felt completely violated," she said.
How have authorities responded?
Katrina Parkes, Scotland’s procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offending, praised those who speak out in cases like the one against Ford.
Parkes said: “Luke Ford is a serial offender who demonstrated no respect for the consent of his victims.
“He was prepared to use manipulation, force or threats to carry out his abuse. He showed disregard for the importance of consent between partners.
“It is significant that amongst the many offences he committed our prosecutors were able to prove rape in Ford’s failure to use a condom during sex – without the consent of his then-partner.
“I hope that the many victims in this troubling case find some relief in Ford being held accountable for his offending. I commend them for their courage and strength.”
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org
Topics: Crime, UK News, Domestic Abuse, Brad Pitt
Emily Brown