11:00am Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Paula Roberts
IAN Arnold has spent nearly 40 years carrying a harrowing secret – he was sexually abused as a boy.
His abuser was his uncle. But as Ian’s life spiralled out of control he could never find the courage to speak out about what had happened to him.
But in 2008 Ian finally found the strength to tell the police and last year William King, 65, was found guilty of 15 sexual offences and jailed for 13 years.
Ian has now decided to waive his right to anonymity and speak out to encourage other sex abuse victims to step forward.
The abuse started when Ian, now 46, was eight years old on Sunday visits to his uncle’s Poole home and lasted an agonising year, during which he was bullied into silence.
Speaking about when the abuse started, Ian said: “He dressed like a CID police officer in a suit with white shirts and a black tie. He called himself Insp Lockhart and carried handcuffs and a truncheon.
“When the abuse started I said to him I was going to tell my dad. He said my dad wouldn’t believe me and he would say I was making it up because he caught me stealing money from his room. That was enough to scare me. I saw him as a powerful man, he was a big bloke.
“I just shut up. I thought, what’s the point? No one is going to believe me. It was the same routine every Sunday, day in, day out, for a whole year. I didn’t know any different.”
Ian said coming forward was tough but praised the officer in the case, DC Carole Darkin.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do but I think people should know; he’s a dangerous man and I’m sure there are other victims out there.
“When I heard the first guilty verdict I just broke down and had to walk out of court.”
Ian said he was pleased with the sentence. “It was the best result I could ever wish for. I hope he rots in prison so he can never hurt anyone else again.”
During the trial the jury was told about King’s previous conviction in 2004 of sexual assault against a second young boy.
Ian said: “I feel guilty for not coming forward before so I could have saved other people but I can’t blame myself for what he did to that little boy.”
Ian fully admits he has led a life of criminality since the age of 14, has been in and out of prison and has more than 80 convictions on his record.
“I could never say what I got myself into was down to him. I could never blame him. But going to prison was my release, it got me out of society. I felt safe in there.”
Now Ian has faced up to what happened to him.
“My partner and everyone who knows me says I’ve changed. Telling the police was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do but I’m so glad I did it. I got justice and now I’m trying to get my life back on track.”
Ian lived in Poole all of his life, until he moved to Eastleigh in 2003.
Ian’s message to other sex abuse victims is: “Please come forward, it’s never too late. Don’t hold it in your head – it’ll mess you up and mess up your life. It’ll eat away at you if you don’t tell anyone.”
King, of Trinidad Crescent, Poole, will serve three-quarters of his prison term before being considered for parole.
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