AN 11-YEAR-OLD schoolboy raped a younger boy twice after luring him into the woods.
The victim said the abuse made him feel “confused about his sexuality and his body”.
PA:Press AssociationA sentencing hearing was held at Cardiff Crown Court this week[/caption]
Daniel Hancox, now 26, manipulated his young victim and forcibly performed sexual acts upon him which had “devastating consequences for his emotional wellbeing”.
The victim courageously came forward later in life, having suffered years of torment.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard the defendant showed the victim pornography in order to persuade the boy what he was doing was “normal”.
He raped the victim on two occasions on a discarded mattress in a wooded area, where he had taken him with a view to abusing him.
He also got the victim to touch his penis, performed oral sex upon him, and penetrated him with his finger.
Sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson said: “The effect of what you did to (the victim) has been profound. Your actions had devastating consequences for his emotional wellbeing over the years.”
As an adult, the victim attended the wooded area and found the same mattress which he removed.
He was later found by his parents and was described by his father, who said: “He was just rolling his head, he was past tears, he was gone.”
The victim reported the abuse to police and Hancox, of Station Road, Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil, was arrested.
He faced trial and was convicted by a jury of two counts of raping a boy under 13, causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, three counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy under 13.
The court heard he was of previous good character.
In a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Laurence Jones, the victim said: “As a child, confusion was a big part of it for me.
“Growing up I was confused about my sexuality and body and questioned why it had happened and what was next for me…. It didn’t hit me as I thought it was normalised behaviour, I didn’t feel like it was wrong as I was unaware of what was going on.
“When it was explained about sex education, it brought back memories and I realised I didn’t agree to this as a willing participant and felt like I had been put in a submissive role.
“I was made by his actions to feel isolated. I subconsciously became aware of my surroundings and people around me and being submissive.
“I would let people walk all over me and didn’t feel like I had self belief. I feel like it stumped my childhood.
“I had trust issues growing up and didn’t understand my emotions and disassociated myself from reality. I started to realise I had become confused about my sexuality, it put me on a path I shouldn’t have been on and took away my innocence…. Going into adulthood, I really started to struggle with mental health and felt disgust and self hatred.
“I listened to bad thoughts in my head and sabotaged anything nice… I self harmed by not looking after myself and punishing myself.”
The victim said he was later diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD, and described himself being in “self-destruct mode”.
He added: “I felt (Hancox) reprogrammed my brain to think that way. What he did confused me sexually and gave me a personality crisis… I don’t feel a sense of closure but glad the truth is out there.
“I’m glad in the eyes of the law he can’t make me out to be a liar.”
In mitigation, Stephen Thomas said his client was only 11 years old at the time of the offences and had not reoffended since.
He said the defendant resided with his mother and he had “strong community and family ties”.
Judge Hobson said that had Hancox committed the offences as an adult, he could expect a lengthy sentence, in the region of 15 to 16 years imprisonment, but due to the fact he was 11 at the time, he must receive the sentence he would have been given had he been sentenced as an 11-year-old.
Hancox was sentenced to a two-year-community order and was ordered to carry out a 40 day rehabilitation activity requirement.
He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements for five years and a restraining order indefinitely.
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