WARNING, DISTREESSING CONTENT: Daniel Hancox, now 26, manipulated his young victim and forcibly performed sexual acts upon him which had ‘devastating consequences for his emotional wellbeing’
An 11-year-old boy who raped and sexually abused a younger boy after luring him to a secluded woodland has been sentenced 15 years on. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, courageously reported the crimes to police later in life, having suffered years of torment.
During a trial the court heard how Daniel Hancox, now 26, manipulated and forcibly performed sexual acts upon his victim which had “devastating consequences for his emotional wellbeing”. The abuse made him feel “confused about his sexuality and his body”.
Hancox, of Station Road, Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, was convicted by a jury of two counts of raping a boy under 13, causing/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.
On Tuesday, January 28, Hancox was sentenced for his crimes. The hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard Hancox took his victim to a discarded mattress in a wooded area with a view to abusing him. He raped the victim on two occasions and showed the victim pornography to persuade the boy what he was doing was “normal”.
Sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson 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 attended the wooded area and found the same mattress which he removed. He was later found by his parents and was described by his father, who said: “He was just rolling his head, he was past tears, he was gone”, reports Wales Online.
In a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Laurence Jones, the victim said: “As a child, confusion was a big part of it for me. Growing up I was confused about my sexuality and body and questioned why it had happened and what was next for me… It didn’t hit me as I thought it was normalised behaviour, I didn’t feel like it was wrong as I was unaware of what was going on.
“When it was explained about sex education, it brought back memories and I realised I didn’t agree to this as a willing participant and felt like I had been put in a submissive role. I was made by his actions to feel isolated. I subconsciously became aware of my surroundings and people around me and being submissive.
“I would let people walk all over me and didn’t feel like I had self belief. I feel like it stumped my childhood. I had trust issues growing up and didn’t understand my emotions and disassociated myself from reality. I started to realise I had become confused about my sexuality, it put me on a path I shouldn’t have been on and took away my innocence…. Going into adulthood, I really started to struggle with mental health and 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 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 glad the truth is out there. I’m glad in the eyes of the law he can’t make me out to be a liar.”
In mitigation, Stephen Thomas said his client was only 11-years-old at the time of the offences and had not reoffended since. He said Hancox resided with his mother and he had “strong community and family ties”.
Judge Hobson said that had Hancox committed the offences as an adult, he could expect a lengthy sentence, in the region of 15 to 16 years imprisonment, but due to the fact he was 11 at the time, he must receive the sentence he would have been given had he been sentenced as an 11-year-old.
Hancox was sentenced to a two-year-community order and was ordered to carry out a 40 day rehabilitation activity requirement. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements for five years and a restraining order indefinitely.
