Home » Boy, 11, raped younger boy twice in wooded area, leaving victim ‘past tears’

Boy, 11, raped younger boy twice in wooded area, leaving victim ‘past tears’

A HARROWING case heard at Cardiff Crown Court has revealed how an 11-year-old boy raped and sexually abused a younger boy after luring him to a secluded wooded area. The victim, now an adult, described how the abuse left him “confused about his sexuality and his body,” with the trauma having a profound and lasting impact on his life.

Daniel Hancox, now 26, manipulated his victim and forcibly performed sexual acts on him, which the court heard had “devastating consequences for his emotional wellbeing.” The victim bravely came forward years later, having endured years of psychological torment.

The abuse and its aftermath

During a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, the court was told that Hancox showed the victim pornography to convince him that the abuse was “normal.” He raped the boy twice on a discarded mattress in a wooded area, where he had taken him with the intention of carrying out the abuse. Hancox also forced the victim to touch his penis, performed oral sex on him, and penetrated him with his finger.

Judge Paul Hobson, sentencing Hancox, 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 returned to the wooded area and removed the mattress, a haunting reminder of the abuse. His father described finding him in a state of distress, saying: “He was just rolling his head, he was past tears, he was gone.”

Reporting the abuse

The victim eventually reported the abuse to the police, leading to Hancox’s arrest. Hancox, of Station Road, Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil, faced trial and was convicted by a jury of multiple offences, including two counts of raping a boy under 13, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and three counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy under 13. The court heard that Hancox was of previous good character.

Victim’s personal statement

In a deeply moving victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Laurence Jones, the victim described the lifelong impact of the abuse. He said: “As a child, confusion was a big part of it for me. Growing up, I was confused about my sexuality and my body, and I questioned why it had happened and what was next for me. At the time, I didn’t feel like it was wrong because I was unaware of what was going on.”

He added: “When I learned about sex education, it brought back memories, and I realised I hadn’t agreed to this as a willing participant. I felt like I had been put in a submissive role. I was made to feel isolated, and I subconsciously became aware of my surroundings and the people around me. I let people walk all over me and didn’t feel like I had self-belief. It stumped my childhood.”

The victim also spoke of struggling with trust issues, disassociating from reality, and feeling confused about his sexuality. He said: “Going into adulthood, I really started to struggle with my mental health. I 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.”

He was later diagnosed with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), describing himself as 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 I’m glad the truth is out there. I’m glad that, in the eyes of the law, he can’t make me out to be a liar.”

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Mitigation and sentencing

In mitigation, Stephen Thomas, defending, highlighted that Hancox 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 had “strong community and family ties.”

The case serves as a stark reminder of the long-lasting impact of childhood sexual abuse and the courage required for victims to come forward and seek justice.

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