Kieron Young victim praises support of family and police

The 22-year-old, who was abused when he was 13, said he had tried to put his abuse to the back of his mind until he read about Young’s previous conviction in the Rotherham Advertiser last November.

“I had put everything to the back of my mind as far as possible to try to get back to normal,” he said.

“Then I read about it in the Advertiser and brought it all back.

“It was the first time my girlfriend had seen me cry.”

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, contacted the police after reading the Advertiser’s report.

Following a further police investigation, Young admitted the abuse and he was given a further six-year jail sentence at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday (17).

However, Young will not spend any longer in prison, because the jail sentence will run alongside his current 13-year term.

His victim, who was in court with his mum, dad and brother-in-law on Monday, said: “It would have been nice if he could have had a longer sentence.

“The judge has done the best he can.

“It’s brought me a bit of closure, hopefully.”

The victim said it had been tough to sit next to his parents and listen to details of the abuse he suffered.

“I felt embarassed hearing what he did to me,” he said.

“I wanted to see him get justice.

“When I was 13, I didn’t tell my mum and dad.”

The man said suffering abuse at the hands of Young had given him trust issues at school.

“It took me three years after leaving school to trust my mum and dad,” he said.

“I couldn’t even trust myself.”

The man praised the work of South Yorkshire Police and the Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy (ISVA) which provides counselling to victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

“If it wasn’t for the CSE team at South Yorkshire Police, I don’t think I would have got through it,” he said.

“They have given me the best support possible and referred me to a counsellor.

“She came to my house to talk through stuff with me.

“She’s the best support I’ve ever had.”

The man said his family had fully supported him over recent months.

“My family have been brilliant with everything that’s happened — they have supported me 100 per cent,” he said.

“I know there’s been a lot of slating of South Yorkshire Police but this has changed my perception of them.”

The man said when he was abused it had taken him three or four years to put it to the back of his mind — and the court case had brought it all back again.

“I will be able to get my life back on track — last time I had no support, but this time I have,” he said.