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Brave survivor of child sex abuse tells how she overcame her fears and found closure through justice.

When Amanda shared her first kiss she thought she was in love.

Still a child, she thought the man she trusted loved her too.

And when she turned 16 she felt sure Christopher Doyle, fast approaching middle age, would keep his promise and leave his wife.

By that age she was in a different relationship, this time with someone her own age.

Yet the growing up she was forced to endure at the hands of Doyle would taint this new love, as it would her next three decades.

Only now, after bravely standing up in court and reliving how Doyle preyed on her - and watching as a judge announced the sex offender would serve a six year sentence - does she have closure.

It has taken a long time for her to cleanse herself of Doyle’s vile crimes.

Now she has done so, Amanda hopes the justice she has won will inspire others to have the courage and faith to seize control of their lives earlier.

Speaking to the ECHO, she recalled the harrowing impact of her abuser’s crimes and told how, with the support of police, her new-found justice has changed her life.

I HAD TO LIE TO MY MUM AND DOCTOR OVER WHETHER I WAS A VIRGIN

It started with a kiss.

The grooming, the manipulation, the exploitation had already begun, but Amanda is only aware of that now she can look back on her stolen childhood with adult eyes.

At the time she felt special to be the target of an older man. But that feeling quickly turned to pain and panic as she struggled to cope with experiences she was too young to come to terms with.

She said: “I was an average child and I had not even kissed a boy before Mr Doyle.

“Being pushed to be sexually active with him, I had no choice but to learn about birth control and sexually transmitted diseases at such a tender age.

“After the first time Mr Doyle had sex with me I bled down below.

“I was alone and frightened with no-one to speak to.

“A few days after the first time Christopher Doyle had sex with me I contracted thrush. I was very scared and worried about what was wrong with me. I had to visit the doctor with my mother and describe the discomfort and discharge I was suffering from.

“I had to lie to my mother and the doctor when I was asked if I had had intercourse with anyone.

“I felt very uncomfortable and isolated.”

STOLEN INNOCENCE

Doyle, a dad himself, targeted her again and again.

She was too young to understand, too confused to speak out, too scared to stop it.

Over the course of almost two years she remained silent as he kissed her, fondled her and abused her.

The crimes typically took place behind closed doors.

But the consequences played out in public.

And the consequences of Doyle’s sick advances did not stop when she finally ended his exploitation.

They coloured her life for years.

Amanda explained: “What Mr Doyle did to me made me grow up very quickly.

“By the age of 14 I was hitting pubs, bars and clubs.

“I was drinking most Friday and Saturday evenings - I wanted to be a grown-up.

“A few months after I stopped contact with Mr Doyle, I met my first husband. I wanted to be in a relationship, being with someone made me feel safe.

“The only way I thought I could have a relationship was through sex, so a few weeks after we met we were having intercourse.” By the age of 20, she had already become a mum, married and separated.

MY FAITH IN THE WORLD WAS CRUSHED

While Amanda was able to end the physical abuse, conquering the psychological impact was a battle she had to endure far longer.

Post traumatic stress disorder left her moving on and off anti-depressants, addiction left her binge eating, drinking and smoking until she was sick.

Too scared to relax in case her thoughts consume her, Amanda lives her life at 100mph.

At the same time she is hyper-sensitive to the dangers she perceives her own children to be at risk of, and issues with low self-esteem, depression, anxiety and sex acted as catalysts to the break-up of her first two marriages.

She told the ECHO: “The repetitive and intrusive thoughts, the flashbacks, sleeplessness, insomnia, nightmares, difficulties in concentration and hyper-vigilance – are all things I struggle with.

“Sexual assault has robbed me of my confidence and my self-esteem. My dignity, my autonomy and my self-respect have all been compromised as a result of the crimes carried out against me. My faith in myself and my faith and trust in the world has been crushed.”

THE BELIEF OF JURORS HELPED FREE ME FROM HIS CRIMES

The legacy of Doyle’s crimes may endure, but it has not defeated Amanda.

With the help of counselling she now understands she is not to blame for what happened, that “this is Mr Doyle’s wrongdoing and shame - not mine”.

That could not be clearer after Amanda made the brave decision to report Doyle’s offences.

Inspired by watching her daughter reach the age at which she was abused, she decided it was time to reach for justice.

Doyle made her go through the drama of a trial. He denied his crimes, forcing Amanda to take the stand and give evidence.

When she did, her truth conquered his lies.

Jurors at Liverpool Crown Court found Doyle guilty of seven counts of indecent assault against a female under the age of 16. Last month the 66-year-old, of The Dell in Croxteth, was jailed for six years and made to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The experience vindicated Amanda’s decision to go to the police.

And the fact she was believed has freed her from the shackles with which Doyle’s crimes had bound her.

I WAS SCARED, BUT POLICE PROVED TO BE A CRUCIAL PILLAR OF SUPPORT

She now hopes others can take inspiration from what she went through and find their freedom too.

The support of police proved crucial throughout the process.

Amanda said: “I had contact with three officers from Merseyside Police.

“All three acted with considerable empathy, sensitivity and gave me tremendous support throughout. I would not have been so brave without them.

“Words can never describe how my husband, my friend, and I feel about the officers who gave such care and compassion. They were with us when we were scared and didn’t understand what was going to happen next, clearly explaining the process and ‘holding our hands’ every step of the way.

“It’s not just about what the officers did, but how they did it; their actions came from the heart and not just the head.

“They have shown the highest professionalism, the greatest perseverance and most importantly distinguished help and kindness over this long and tiring case. They are all very special individuals and a true credit to Merseyside Police.”

Amanda also wished to praise the support provided by the Court Welfare Service and the Witness Care Officer, which she described as “exceptional”.

WE WILL HELP AND SUPPORT YOU, JUST LIKE WE DID FOR COURAGEOUS AMANDA

Detective Inspector Susan Ennis from Merseyside Police Protecting Vulnerable People Unit said “Throughout this investigation the victim has shown great strength and courage and I hope her bravery will encourage other victims to come forward. She has been through a horrendous ordeal and

I hope the result has released a huge weight from her shoulders. Merseyside Police will provide every help and support to all victims of this type of crime.

“I would like to take this opportunity to reassure anyone who has suffered a sexual offence that if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us, we will deal with you sensitively and make sure that reports are properly and thoroughly investigated.

“If anybody else is out there suffering in silence I want you to know that there is help and support available to you, both from Merseyside Police, where we have specially trained officers who will listen to you and treat you with sensitivity and compassion, and from reliable and trusted support groups who will support you from your initial report and for as long as you need.”

*The woman’s name was changed to protect her identity.

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Hon Chung even attacked two of victims at his girlfriend's home and raped one with the help of a schoolboy.

A twisted pervert plied runaway children with alcohol and cocaine before raping them in his car and even at his girlfriend’s home.

Hon Chung, 29, of Gardenside Street, Everton, befriended then groomed and exploited three vulnerable girls, aged 14 and 15.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he made one child drink a whole bottle of vodka, before a boy held her down, so he could rape her.

Chung, then 27, was found guilty after a trial of two counts of rape and three counts of sexual activity with a child.

The boy, then 16 and now 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of one count of rape.

Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, said Chung targeted victims who had run away from home or foster carers.

The first victim, aged 15, described him as “someone who was always there for her”.

He bought her two bottles of wine, which she drank before giving him oral sex in his car, at his request.

She and the second girl, 14, went back to Chung’s girlfriend’s home, where the boy gave the 15-year-old cocaine.

Ms Snowdon said: “She described falling about everywhere and smashing a pot because she was so drunk.”

Chung stripped and then raped the victim, despite the fact she was crying throughout.

He later asked the second girl to give him oral sex in the same bedroom.

The next victim was another 14-year-old girl, who Chung called “proper gorgeous” and pressured into oral sex.

He gave her and another girl money and let them stay in his car overnight, then struck again the following evening.

Chung made her drink a bottle of vodka and gave her cocaine, before he and the boy said they wanted to “do stuff”.

The court heard she was “extremely drunk” and her “vision blurred”, but she managed to refuse.

Ms Snowdon said: “She said ‘I’m 14 and you’re 27’. His response was ‘so?’”

Chung raped the protesting and sobbing girl, while the boy grabbed her hands to stop her moving.

Ms Snowdon said: “It was only when she said she was going to be sick that he stopped to let her get out of the car.”

Chung threw her out of the car and threatened to kill her if she told anyone, before later driving her to Belle Vale.

The victim was hysterical and threw herself in front of a passing car, but the female driver knew Chung and rang him to collect her.

His DNA was later recovered from the victim’s knickers and she had a large number of small injuries.

Chung has previous convictions for battery and possessing cocaine and cannabis, but the boy did not have a criminal record.

John Cooper, QC, defending Chung, said his current partner and a past girlfriend said he had never been a threat to them.

Paul Lewis, defending the teen, said he comforted his victim, held her hair back so she could be sick and offered her water.

He said Chung was the “primary protagonist” and the boy, who felt “moral repugnance”, had previously suffered a family bereavement.

Judge Norman Wright said Chung knew his young victims were vulnerable, but gained their trust to abuse them.

He said the first girl attempted suicide, adding: “You have cast a very dark shadow over any future relationships that she might have.”

Judge Wright said he plied the third girl with vodka, cocaine and cannabis “to make her compliant” then raped her.

He said: “You made threats to petrol bomb her house or kill her if she told the police what happened.”

Judge Wright said the boy didn’t try to stop Chung “or even turn a blind eye” but helped him, while high on cocaine.

He said Chung wanted “to express power and control over his victims”, adding: “Your behaviour is manipulative and predatory.”

The judge said Chung was “dangerous” and jailed him for 20 years, with an extended six years on licence, as he shook his head.

He will serve at least two thirds of the sentence behind bars and only be released if a parole board deems he is no longer a risk.

The boy burst into tears as he was locked up for seven years, while supporters of both rapists cried in the public gallery.

The pair were told to sign on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

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A pensioner was jailed for 17 years for twice raping a very young girl and committing a catalogue of indecent assaults against her and another victim.

Robert Croxford, now 68, sat with his arms folded as a judge recounted his crimes, telling him how he stole his victims childhood, and blighted her adult life.

The Wirral man pleaded not guilty to all the charges made against him, forcing his youngest victim to relive her ordeals in a trial.

But jurors unanimously convicted Croxford him of two rapes, and 11 indecent assaults.

His victim told how she had gone through phases of pulling her hair out and had taken overdoses.

Prosecutor Martine Snowdon read from the womans personal statement, revealing how she thought it was her fault and she had a false view of herself.

She added: She was the person who Croxford made her believe she was.

The woman experienced feelings of guilt when she disclosed the sexual attacks perpetrated on her, and has been diagnosed with complex post traumatic stress disorder.

She is still on anti-depressants after starting taking them in her 20s, following a major breakdown during which she was admitted to hospital.

His second victim was targeted with inappropriate touching and kissing during her teens.

Andrew McInnes, defending, said Croxford would find prison particularly difficult, asking the judge to take into account his advancing years and the effect custody will have on him.

Judge Robert Warnock told Croxford: You created the opportunity to indecently assault and rape a girl 20 years younger than you. You stole her childhood and blighted her adulthood, it was wholly unacceptable behaviour.

I hope her courage and dignity in this trial is a help to her in her later life.

Croxford, of Lee Court Road, Hoylake , had only one previous criminal conviction, for possessing indecent images of underage children.

He was ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

DC Loretta Dean said: "Croxford is starting a long prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of a number of offences carried out over a number of years in the 1970s in the Wirral area.

"Croxfords victims have shown an immense amount of bravery in coming forward and I hope his sentencing today gives them some sense of closure and justice. Their adult life has been deeply affected by these crimes and they have shown immense courage to report them.

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A disgraced ex-teacher avoided jail for kissing one of his vulnerable 16-year-old students after they bonded over similar problems with self-harm.

Richard Derek Quinlan was a newly-qualified teacher when he began texting the student, after swapping phone numbers at the Liverpool high school where he worked.

The relationship progressed to the point the 27-year-old even invited the teenager, who cannot be named, to his home in Mosedale Road, Walton, where the pair watched TV and eventually kissed.

She later tried to end the relationship, but the defendant continued to text the girl.

Quinlan was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work at Liverpool Magistrates Court today, after pleading guilty to a charge of abusing a position of trust to incite sexual activity with a girl below 17.

Chris Fontaine, prosecuting, told the court: Merseyside Police received a referral from child services about an inappropriate relationship with a pupil at the school, and that the two had kissed.

The head teacher of the school was made aware and asked Mr Quinlan about the allegation that he was in a relationship with a pupil. The defendant confirmed that this was true and that he had kissed her and that she had been to his home address.

Mr Fontaine said Quinlan was immediately suspended and is no longer a teacher.

The court heard the relationship began after the pair confided in each other that they both struggled with mental health issues, and had both self-harmed.

The girl provided a statement to police which said she knew the relationship was wrong but said she had not been forced into any sexual activity.

Mr Fontaine said: As she was leaving she said he kissed her. She said he instigated it but that she responded, and did not try to pull away or stop him.

She believed what had happened was wrong because he was a grown man, but she denied that any other physical contact took place. She said she didnt want him to get into any trouble for this, as she had made her choices freely.

Tom Sherrington, defending, told the court his client had attempted suicide after the case came to light.

He said: This was a case where Mr Quinlan abused the position of trust he was in, as he has accepted from the outset.

However it was a position where he was confided in by a vulnerable person on the basis that himself was a vulnerable person, he himself suffered similar mental health issues as the victim did, including self harm and suicide attempts. He attempted suicide after the circumstances of the case came out.

Mr Sherrington said his client had regretted the relationship from day one and will never be able to work as a teacher again due to his conviction.

Presiding magistrate Maureen Lewis, sentencing, said: We feel for you the greater punishment has probably already taken place. You are a young man who has achieved great things, but you have lost your good name and character and you have lost your career.

Quinlan was ordered to attend rehabilitation and sex offender courses with the Probation Service as part of a two-year community order, alongside the unpaid work.

He was also ordered to sign on the sex offenders register for five years and told to pay 85 prosecution costs and an 85 victim surcharge.

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A Formby man who had sex with a 15-year-old girl he met via Facebook was jailed for 32 months.

Scott Ball, who was ten years older than the girl, knew she was under-age and still at school.

But he went on to have sex with her despite her mum discovering his intentions after checking her daughters Facebook account and warning him she would call the police.

His sordid crime came to light because he worked for Merseyrail and had to wear a body camera. When the previous six months audio and visual recordings were taken for routine destruction he was heard discussing what had happened with colleagues.

He also had a graphic conversation with a former partner about the consequences of his actions with the girl and she became so concerned that she recorded it.

Ball, now 27, of Langton Drive, denied two charges of sexual activity with a child and meeting a child following sexual grooming. But after the girls evidence had been played to the jury he admitted the more serious charge of sexual activity and the others were dropped.

Jailing him and ordering him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life, Judge Norman Wright said that at the time of the offence in February last year Ball was 25 and the girl 15.

The judge accepted that having sex may have been at the instigation of the girl, who had become infatuated with Ball and overawed by the attention he had been showing her, but you were the adult and she was a child.

Ben Jones, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that the couple met via Facebook, thet they both knew each others age and when they met she was wearing her school uniform.

Her mum discovered the Facebook conversations in which he had been attempting to impress her with offers of meals out at posh restaurants, taking her to a log cabin, calling her sexy and claiming to love her.

There were also more disturbing messages about love that school uniform and looking at her pictures while pleasuring himself.

She banned her daughter from further contact with him and contacted Ball to warn him she would call the police if he did not leave her daughter alone.

However the girl contacted him using a friends phone on February 3 last year and they arranged to meet.

Mr Jones said: She was taken to a relatively secluded area where he said he had bought a flat. They had sexual relations in a car park by those flats.

When she came home her mother realised what was going on and reported it to the police leading to his arrest. He denied any form of sexual contact.

In a defence statement he tried to blacken her character and described her as infatuated with him and seeking to lead him on.

In a victim impact statement the girl told how she had become infatuated with an older handsome man. Now she realises how she had been taken in by him.

Shila Whitehead, defending Ball, who has no previous convictions: He is rather immature and that has affected his thinking skills.

He lost his 28,000 a year job as a result of the offence and has been unemployed since but plans to be a self-employed painter and decorator having now completed a training course.

The judge imposed a five year restraining order to keep away from the girl.

DI Steve Christian said: Ball is a sexual predator and this conviction shows that we will be pursue those preying on the most vulnerable in our community.

I hope that this sentence sends out a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Anyone wishing to report an offence or has information can ring 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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A 20-YEAR-OLD man who committed a series of sexual assaults on vulnerable young girls has been sentenced to more than four years in prison.

Christopher McCain from Skipton Road, Huyton, pleaded guilty to the assaults against children in St Helens town centre in the summer of 2015.

A judge at Liverpool Crown Court ruled he must serve four years and eight months in prison.

McCain was also given a six-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and will remain on the Sex Offenders' Register for his lifetime.

Speaking afterwards, Detective Sergeant Jim Starkey, of St Helens CID said: "Today's sentence should send out a very clear message to paedophiles that sexual activity with children will be dealt with extremely seriously.

"Christopher McCain is a predatory offender who repeatedly took advantage of vulnerable young girls, which has resulted in severe psychological impact on his victims.

I would like to praise the victims for their immense bravery in giving evidence to help secure justice and has been supported every step of the way by the police and our partners.

I would urge other victims of sexual offences, whether they are historic or otherwise, to not suffer in silence and instead tell someone what has happened to them.

The force is committed to the protection and wider safeguarding issues of children. In doing so we view the abuse of any child as unacceptable and will work with partner agencies to investigate and where possible prevent such abuse.

We all have a duty of care to protect young people from harm and I would encourage parents, grandparents, teachers, health professionals, social services and any other adults to take a little time to better educate themselves about online safety and child sexual exploitation.

Merseyside Police has a great website called www.listentomystory.co.uk which highlights these issues from young peoples perspectives and also shows where you can get help if you have any concerns about any child you know.

"It helps victims to find the right kind of support and advice if they have suffered abuse in the past. It also has loads of information for young people to help them if they think they are being exploited, or if they are worried one of their friends may be.

Anyone who would like to report a sexual offence or anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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A paedophile who subjected a young girl to a decade-long campaign of sexual abuse was jailed.

Toxteth man Stephen Furmedge, 52, preyed on his victim, who was between the ages of three and 12, through the late 1970s and 1980s.

But she was not the first child who had her life destroyed by the sick pervert.

He had already been jailed in 1989 for raping a young girl and a young boy, and sexually abusing another girl when he was living in Kirkby and had also been convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old girl in the early 1970s.

Robert Wyn Jones, prosecuting, said that some of the girls earliest memories were of being abused by Furmedge including him kissing her on the lips when she was just three.

The abuse happened weekly over the years and at one point he even tried to rape her when another girl was sharing a double bed with her.

She said the last time he tried to make a pass at her she was 12 and better able to stop him.

The victim said she knew what was happening to the other children, crimes for which Furmedge served nine years after they reported it, but didnt tell police at the time.

Furmedge denied all the accusations but was found guilty by a jury of nine counts of sexual assault, nine of indecency with a child and five of attempted rape.

Judge Andrew Hatton, sentencing, said if Furmedge was being sentenced under todays laws he would have jailed him for life but because he had to be sentenced under the law of the day the maximum he could sentence him to was seven years in jail and he did so.

He added that if the judge sentencing Furmedge in the 1980s knew the full extent of his crimes then he probably would have sentenced him to life as well.

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A DANGEROUS child abuser took pictures of young girls in sexual poses so he could swap them with other paedophiles on the internet.

Karl Torgersen's crimes were uncovered after a European paedophile ring was cracked by German police and photos they uncovered were tracked back to Liverpool. Torgersen, 41, was arrested with his partner Joanne Roberts, 38, at their home on Churchway Road, Speke, last September.

His computer was confiscated and photographs of him abusing girls were found on the hard drive.

Torgersen pleaded guilty to more than 60 charges including sexual assault, taking an indecent picture of a child and distributing indecent images of a child.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said Torgersen was motivated to fulfil his "perverted ends".

His excuse that he was "objectively" investigating online paedophilia after being abused as a child were dismissed as "classic denial".

Torgersen was jailed for eight years and eight months, of which he will serve a minimum of two-thirds, after being labelled a dangerous offender. He was given an extended licence period of 14 years.

Joanne Roberts pleaded guilty to less serious sexual assaults and charges related to indecent images.

She was jailed for two years and seven months.

The judge said: "You were present and played your part."