Survivor's brave words to abuser decades on from trauma.

A 51-year-old man from Runcorn, Philip Cook, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for a string of historical child sex abuse offenses dating back to the late 1980s.

Cook, of Davenport Row, Halton Lodge, was found guilty by a jury on August 26 of nine counts of indecent assault of a child. The charges, which escalated from touching to acts characterized as rape by prosecuting barrister Cheryl Mottram, reflected the severity of the abuse.

The horrific abuse, which involved sexual acts and simulated sexual intercourse, was perpetrated against a young boy under the age of 12 in Liverpool during the late 1980s when Cook was an adult teenager.

The case came to light when Cook's victim, now an adult, began confiding in those close to him, leading to counseling sessions and eventually the involvement of Merseyside Police. In a powerful impact statement, the victim spoke of the devastating impact the abuse had on his life.

"I never wanted to believe that you were that word - a paedophile, because that meant I was abused and you were my abuser," he said. "You were someone I liked, I trusted and wanted to spend time with and play the game. I was too young to realize I was being groomed, too young to know you were taking advantage of me. You were old enough to know what you were doing was wrong and you shouldn't have been doing it."

The victim, who now identifies as a survivor of child sexual abuse, expressed the years it took him to realize the abuse was not his fault. He also spoke of praying for his abuser and his hope to one day forgive him.

Cook's defense attorney, Jo Maxwell, argued that Cook was of good character prior to the offenses and had no previous convictions. She highlighted his work running a well-respected animal rescue service for the past 10 years, focusing on cat rescue.

Maxwell acknowledged Cook's unstable childhood and traumatic formative years, including a period of living in hostels after leaving home. She also mentioned his ill health since the age of 30, which prevented him from working fully.

Cook, who sustained a leg injury in a serious road traffic collision in 1988, appeared in court walking with the aid of a stick. Presiding Judge David Potter sentenced Cook to nine years in prison with a year on extended license and placed him on the sex offenders register for life.

While acknowledging Cook's lack of prior convictions, Judge Potter emphasized the serious nature of the offenses and characterized them as grooming behavior. He also highlighted Cook's consistent denial of the crimes during police interviews.

"When interviewed by the police, you consistently denied and maintained that denial that you had done nothing wrong towards (the victim)," said Judge Potter. "The jury was satisfied that you were not telling the truth and convicted you on all of the counts on the indictment."