Pastor jailed for 'removing demons' sex attacks

Walter Masocha was jailed for attacks on two women between 2006 and 2012

A church pastor who sexually assaulted a female churchgoer under the pretence of "removing demons" from her body has been jailed for 10 years.

Walter Masocha, 61, groped the married woman at his home in Stirling, claiming he was a "gift from god".

The former University of Stirling lecturer also attempted to rape another woman during a campaign of abuse from 2006 to 2012.

Masocha denied the attacks during the trial at the High Court in Livingston, but judge Susan Craig described his offending as "appalling".

She imposed a non-harassment orders banning him from approaching or contacting his two victims.

Masocha founded his own church in Scotland in 2007 soon after moving from Zimbabwe.

He built Agape for All Nations Church into an international religious organisation with more than 2,000 members and appointed himself as archbishop.

One of his victims said most people in the church saw him as a father figure and referred to him as "Dad" or "Daddy".

Managed to escape

The trial heard Masocha, a former accountancy professor, had first targeted another of his victims, now aged 58, about 20 years ago at his home in Stirling.

She told the court how Masocha had ordered her to kiss his "holy lips" and attempted to justify putting his hand in her pants and groping her by claiming he was "removing demons" from her body.

A 39-year-old woman told how she was 20 when Masocha began sexually abusing her after she went to stay with his family.

She said Masocha repeatedly sexually assaulted her during that period by forcing her to touch him and slapping her on the bottom as she walked upstairs.

The woman said he later tried to rape her after taking her into his bedroom before managing to escape.

Masocha attempted to rape one woman at his home after she went to stay with his family

Masocha was previously found guilty in June 2015 of sexually assaulting a church deaconess and putting his hand down the trousers of a schoolgirl, telling her that he was trying to remove demons.

The convictions were later quashed by the appeal court after judges ruled he'd been the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

However, new proceedings were launched by the Crown after two further women made statements to the police about his behaviour.

Judge Craig said it was likely that Mascoha's name would appear on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Advocate depute, Michael McIntosh, said: "Walter Masocha wasn't just a pastor and a preacher, he was a predator who thought that his power and position rendered him immune from suspicion."

Det Sgt David Brown said: "Masocha's abhorrent actions have caused lasting harm, and he will now be held to account for them in prison.

"We hope this sentencing provides the women affected with some sense of closure and helps them in moving forward with their lives."