A MAN who was raped twice as a child has spoken of his abuser's 'sadistic pleasure' after they bumped into each other years later.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave a heartbreaking victim impact statement on the day he saw his abuser jailed for four years.

Christopher Todd was only a teenager himself when he raped and sexually assaulted his young victim on two occasions in the early 2000s.

Reliving the impact of his ordeal, the man told a judge at Teesside Crown Court how his relationship with family and friends had been destroyed by Todd's actions.

The Northern Echo: Christopher ToddChristopher Todd

The victim said he didn’t want talk about the pain he felt as a result of the abuse he suffered but focus on the impact it had had on his life since the attacks.

He added: “At some point in my life something in my head changed and I created an alter-ego, a person without vulnerabilities, a person who would not let anything like this happen to me again.

“A person who needed help from no-one, who trusted no-one and felt no-one could help me or understand me.”

During the trial, the jury at Teesside Crown Court heard from friends and family the devastating impact the abuse had on him and continues to haunt him during his everyday activities.

He said: “When my parents offered my life lessons I rebelled against them and I became angry all of the time. I hated my brother for having an easy life and I constantly had the words ‘if they only knew’ floating around in my mind.

“This chip on my shoulder found its way to me very soul – I hated everyone around me.”

He spoke of the devastation his parents felt when the truth was finally revealed and the pain they experienced in the belief they had failed to protect their young son.

He said: “There is no doubt that there is more than one victim in this case. My mother and I lost years of love to my hate – all because of this event. For years she wondered where her loving son had gone and why I acted the way I did.

“When the answer was given to her it was worse than she could ever have imagined.”

Speaking about the confrontation with Todd which led to the complaint being made to the police, he said: “On the day in B&M when he approached my mother with that arrogant confidence and actually introduced himself to her – I realised how not only did he not feel remorse he actually took a sadistic pleasure in speaking to the mother of the child he had raped twice.

“This man was so confident in his abuse, so confident that he shamed me and manipulated me into silence, he assumed I had never told my parents, he assumed because so much time had passed without consequence that I had buried this part of my life and not told close friends or family.”

Wedding photographer Todd, of Durham Road, Darlington, was jailed for four years after being found guilty following a trial at Teesside Crown Court.

The 31-year-old, formerly of Grangeside, Darlington, continues to deny any responsibility for his actions, the court heard from his counsel Christine Egerton.