Offender who raped boy in water park cries at his arrest

A pedophile who abused a young boy for years, including raping him in a water park, cried as he was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Oliver Roughley subjected his victim to a three-year “rape campaign” that ultimately led to the child attempting suicide.

He was sentenced to 21 years in prison on Thursday, but continues to protest his innocence.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the now 24-year-old committed the abuse in his late teens.

Roughley, from St Helens, looked after the boy by buying him gifts, including toy cars and teddy bears.

He also used violence to force his silence, including by twisting his arm behind his back.

He kept a pair of the child’s underwear in his bedroom and wrote to him that he loved it.

Roughley first abused the boy when he was seven years old by touching his penis. He then “told him not to tell anyone or he would go to prison and never see him again.”

His abuse escalated to the point where he raped the teenager in the changing rooms of a swimming pool in South Liverpool.

Police later discovered 32 nude photos of the boy in the defendant’s bedroom.

Further indecent images of other children were found on his computer.

A statement read on behalf of the boy’s mother stressed the “massive impact” Roughley’s crimes had had. She said her son had become “a sad and angry boy” who had attempted to take his own life “more than once”.

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The boy is also unable to be hugged by family members as he “does not want to be touched.” The statement continued: “It has ruined him psychologically and turned his life upside down.”

“I don’t know if he will ever recover. My son was sentenced to life in prison.”

A statement from the boy’s grandmother said: “How dare you subject our grandson to such pain and suffering for your perverse needs?

“You have taken away his innocence and childhood. You have shown no remorse for your actions and seem to think you have done nothing wrong.”

Defense attorney David Watson told the court: “The arguments that can be put forward in his defense are very limited. The defendant has no previous convictions that could be taken into account, nor any other conduct outside of these offenses.”

“I draw the court’s attention to the defendant’s age and his maturity, or lack thereof. It is inevitable that a very long prison sentence will be imposed.”

During the sentencing, Roughley appeared to shake his head at times, but when he learned his fate, he hung his head, closed his eyes and cried.

Passing sentence, Judge David Swinnerton said: “You were sexually attracted to him and had a sexual interest in young boys, as was evident from the images of other children you had on your computer. You both manipulated and coerced him, buying him things so that he wouldn’t tell.”

“You have caused serious harm not only to him but to his entire family. You have shown no remorse and continue to deny any wrongdoing.”

“You deny any sexual interest in children. That is simply a lie.”

Roughley was given an extended five-year probation period, an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and a reporting requirement. He must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before he can be released.