A man who suffered mental health difficulties all his adult life says the sentencing of the woman who sexually abused him as a boy has ended 40 years of him carrying "terrifying" secrets.

Hazel Templeton, 79, from the Comber area sexually assaulted the victim when he was a 12-year-old boy between July 1984 and August 1984.

After initially denying the allegations and attempting to blame her victim, she later pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault and three counts of inciting gross indecency with a child.

She was sentenced yesterday at Laganside Court to two years and nine months, to serve half in custody and half on licence. She will also be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

placeholder image — A man who was sexually abused by a woman when he was a boy says her sentencing has ended his 40 years of him carrying "terrifying" secrets.

Her victim spoke out anonymously to encourage other male victims to come forward.

“For so many years all I felt was absolute confusion,” he said.

“The basis of any childhood is that you can trust adults. The need to keep a secret of that magnitude from friends and family led to me shutting down.

“I became paranoid that people would think less of me, especially as I entered adulthood. The teenage years can be challenging in the best of circumstances. However, it’s a sad truth that children who are abused can find the challenge unbearable. She stole my childhood, she is charged with abuse offences but I see it as theft.

“My message to young boys and men today is that you are not alone, the humiliation that you might imagine is probably just that, imagination.”

He urged victims to consider how they might react if a friend came to them with the same problem.

“How would you treat them?,” he asked.

“There are people out there who will treat you with compassion. You shouldn’t listen to the perpetrator as I did. You are not complicit in what happened to you. You deserve to be heard. Tell someone and see what they say to you, you may be surprised at their reaction. Living alone, in silence, with terrifying secrets only hinders your life. I am speaking from experience.

“The investigating officer working my case was extremely compassionate and at no point was it like anything I’d imagined.”

He added: “The hardest part for me was admitting that I was a victim.

“Today’s outcome doesn’t change what happened in the past but it has opened the doors for a better future without the weight of carrying 40 years of secrets.”

Detective Constable Douglas said that Hazel Templeton is “a child predator who betrayed her position of trust, manipulated and took advantage of a young boy who trusted her”.

“She preyed on him, groomed him and sexually exploited him for her own gratification.

“As a result of this abuse the victim has suffered with mental health issues his whole adult life.”

She added: “There is still a societal stigma surrounding male victims of abuse, especially that of a sexual nature. I hope today’s court outcome will demonstrate that young boys are just as vulnerable and that there is no shame for them to carry.

“Suffering in silence is never the answer, abuse is never the victim’s fault ... We would ask people not to keep the secrets of your abuser.”