A jury "saw through the lies" of a paedophile who made his victim suffer a campaign of abuse. Michael Senior, 32, from Bootle, appeared in Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, September 19, after being found guilty of five counts of rape, two counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of sexual assault and two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
He was also convicted of making indecent images of a child, distributing indecent images of a child and possession of extreme pornography, to which he had pleaded guilty before the trial.
The court heard how Senior "violently threatened and intimidated" his victim in an attempt to keep him silent.
Senior was sentenced to 21 years behind bars. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and given a 20-year restraining order.
A statement was read to the court on behalf of the victim which said: "I spoke about what he had done because I couldn't keep it in any more. Not long after I told the police I started to get panic attacks and it frightened me as I didn't know what was happening.
"It felt like my body was out of control, my heart was racing, shortness of breath and sweating. Going to court was stressful but it was something that I had to do but I was scared. Afterwards it was a relief but going over what he had done made me angry and sad."
Detective Sergeant Rebecca Robinson, who was the officer in charge of the investigation, said: "Throughout the whole process, the investigation and the trial, Senior denied all the allegations put against him.
"This only enhanced the upset and trauma for the survivor of his appalling crimes and I sincerely hope this sentencing brings him some comfort.
"Thankfully the jury saw through Senior's lies and found him guilty. He will now rightly spend a considerable amount of time in prison when he can reflect on his heinous actions.
"Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm.
"If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police."
Georgiana Panteli of the Crown Prosecution Service Mersey-Cheshire said: "Over the course of a decade, Senior inflicted unimaginable trauma and it is testament to the extraordinary courage of the victim in coming forward that this abuser has been brought to justice."
She added: "Despite Senior's continued denial, we proved how he had lied about aspects of the case, including contradicting his own police interview when testifying in court.
"I hope today's outcome sends a clear message that the CPS will relentlessly pursue those who sexually exploit children, and victims can be confident they will be heard, supported, and taken seriously."
If you are a child or young person suffering sexual or physical abuse, the following organisations can also provide help and support:
If you've been affected by sexual violence of any kind don't be afraid to tell someone, find the courage to come forward and get the help you deserve.
You can report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences anonymously here: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/how-to-report-rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/
There is a lot of support available from specialist officers within Merseyside Police and through the Police and Crime Commissioner's Victim Care Merseyside service delivered jointly by two registered charities.