'I'm telling my story because it's nothing to be ashamed of, and it might encourage others to come forward'

A YOUNG dad who was abused by a paedophile has bravely shared his story of survival as he tells other victims ‘it’s nothing to be ashamed of’.

- WESLEY HOLMES

Ben Cammillare was 14 years old when he was preyed on by Paul Jones, 62, a family friend with ‘an unhealthy sexual interest’ in him.

Now 26, Ben has bravely waived his right to anonymity in the hope that speaking out about what happened will give other victims the courage to come forward.

Ben, from Leasowe, said he first met Jones at a family party 12 years ago, when he was 14.

Jones, a workmate of Ben’s uncle, quickly ingratiated himself with both Ben and his mum Emma, taking him on day trips out to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, truck stops and the Silverstone Circuit in Towcester.

He became like a member of the family, taking Ben on short holidays to Belfast, Cancun and Tenerife, and bonding with him over a shared love of machinery and Eddie Stobart trucks. But secretly Jones had an ‘unhealthy sexual interest’ in the teenager.

As Ben grew older, he said he deliberately distanced himself from Jones. But Jones remained a close family friend, comforting Emma after her dad died suddenly and even driving her to the funeral home to see his body.

In 2018, Ben and his partner welcomed their first child into the world, Phoebe. He said his little girl had ‘kept him going’ during his darkest moments.