New years day 1974 was to become the day I met a person who would, over the next 10 years, have such a devastating impact on my young life, that I still have nightmares about it nearly 50 years on. Because the person was trusted, there was no sanctuary to be had, even in my family home.

This is a story of how and what I did to survive and the impact it had (and continues to have) on my life.

Given the world we now live in, I feel it is important to ensure that, although this is a graphic and horrible account, it may help anyone with children to understand some of the signs to look out for.