Malcom, welcome to the forum mate.
marmel's a bit harsh (and grumpy or something), but his advice is on point...I wouldn't ever verbalize your feelings for a girl until after you've slept with her AND she's already said her feelings for you.
Don't worry about her past, it is not your responsibility to walk on eggshells around her. If she has problems, she needs to work them out on her own (though if they are really serious you may want to reconsider if she's really relationship material). She's not your girlfriend or anything, don't go out of your way to be her white knight! Meet with her as you would any other girl, see her once or twice a week (keeping texting to minimum and used primarily to set up the dates/meetings), and during those meetings be sure that you're making a move to be physical with her. You obviously don't have to have sex on the first meeting, but you need to be progressing. Each meeting you should be getting more physically intimate in some way. This is how a Don Juan "takes it slow". But if she likes you, sex will happen fairly quickly...that's not disrespecting her, that's you being a man and going for you want, and her wanting (from what you've told us) you to do just that.
Feel free to ask if you have any more questions, and let us know how things go.