THE brave victim of a paedophile who was forced to perform a sex act aged five has opened up about how the incident will live with him for the rest of his life.

Terence Croughton, from Orford, laughed in the face of his victim when asked if he remembered exposing and touching himself in front of a young boy in 1990 before making the child perform a sexual act.

Now his picture has been released by police and his victim has bravely spoken about how the day has 'haunted' him ever since. 

The victim said: "Since that day in 1990 I have been haunted by this man and what he did to me.

"Not a day goes by without me being reminded of him. Twenty nine years later and his actions have finally caught up with him.

"He will serve the prison sentence for the crime but I am the one who is serving the life sentence because I will always remember that day for the rest of my life."

In a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on June 24, prosecutor David Polglase described how the victim was with a friend watching a football match on the playing field of English Martyrs High School.

Croughton, of Capesthorne Road, had encouraged them to follow him, and the victim recalled being taken to an area sheltered from view where the incident – which he said has stayed with him all his life – took place.

The court heard how the victim told his mother and police became involved, but no charges were brought at the time.

In a victim personal statement read during the hearing, the victim, who has suffered from anxiety and depression, remembered seeing 67-year-old Croughton in his van around Warrington as he was growing up and avoided certain areas of the town as a result.

Before he reported the incident to police last year, the victim saw the defendant in a shop and asked him if he remembered what he had done to him – Croughton laughed in reply.

Croughton was employed by Greenwoods of Cheshire and the victim contacted the store pretending to be a customer in order to check Croughton was the right man before going to police.

When interviewed, Croughton denied the incident and said the victim was lying but was later picked out during a video identification parade.

He has three previous convictions for indecent exposure in 1977, 1979 and 1980.

Alcoholic Croughton also committed gross indecency in 1981, where he performed a sexual act in front of young boys in a park – as well as further counts of buggery and indecent assault in 2001, when he was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

Sentencing Croughton to six years in prison, Judge David Aubrey said: “Your victim was just five years of age.

“This offence occurred in 1990 and your past has caught up with you.

“This incident still lives with him, it lives with him every single day of his life in consequence of that which you did.

“You are, or certainly were, a paedophile.”

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Judge Aubrey added that although the incident was not sustained, the victim had been put through a terrible experience.

He added: “That period of time, however short it may have been, has lived with the victim since the early 1990s and will live on in him forever more.”

Croughton will serve a five-year prison sentence plus a one-year licence period.

He was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.

A spokesperson for the NSPCC said: "By bravely coming forward and speaking out, Croughton’s victim has ensured this vile offender is held accountable for his awful crime.

"His courage should be commended and this case shows that time is no barrier to justice being done.

"We would encourage anybody who has experienced sexual abuse to speak out and seek support.”

Childline is available 24 hours a day to children concerned about physical, sexual and emotional abuse, on 0800 1111.

Adults concerned about the wellbeing of children, or who wish to report historic sexual abuse, can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000.