I bought her the roller boots that evil man threatened to take

I don’t want to be on the naughty list. Tony said that if I told, Santa wouldn’t come,’ she cried.

Disgusting! Using Father Christmas, a child’s fantasy, as a ploy in his sick acts.

‘Mummy will sort this. But no matter what, Santa will bring you presents.’ I soothed.

I managed to get her into school, knowing that she’d be safe there, at least.

Not sure what to do,

I headed to social services, feeling like a gibbering wreck.

But at the entrance, I noticed someone watching me.

Tony.

‘What are you doing here?’ he called from his car.

My mind raced. He should have been at work. He must’ve suspected something was wrong and followed me.

Had he been watching me and Ella? I couldn’t let him know I was on to him...

‘Just here to ask about Ruby’s nursery,’ I smiled sweetly.

He seemed to accept it and shouted one more thing before he drove off.

‘I’ll see you at home later,’ he said. ‘Love you.’

‘Love you, too!’ I replied, the words burning in my throat.

As soon as I saw his car turn the corner, I ran inside and filed a report.

The police were involved right away.

Ella was brought to the police station to make a video statement.

I kissed her forehead as she held her teddy tight.

She was taken into a room alone, just her and the lady asking questions.

She was so scared, so small. After that, there was to be a test to find evidence.

But at the hospital, when they gave us a male doctor, Ella screamed.

She must have been traumatised because of what Tony had done.

Worse still, there wouldn’t be a female doctor available for weeks, by which time any evidence would have gone.

It was infuriating but I held Ella’s hand and stroked her hair as she was examined.

‘I promise Santa will bring lovely presents,’ I kept telling her. ‘You’re such a good girl.’

I prayed that police would arrest Tony fast. But arriving at our house, they found it deserted.

I’d no idea how he knew that Ella had told me, but Tony had fled.

We lived in limbo at my mum’s house. Unsure where Tony was, convinced he’d come for me, for Ella...

When poor Luke found out, he blamed himself.

‘I was the man of the house,’ he sobbed. ‘I should have protected her.’

And my darling Ella still kept saying one thing, no matter how often I told her otherwise.

‘Santa won’t come now.’ She’d never love Christmas in the same way.

Finally, after 10 days, Tony was arrested.

Waiting for his trial,

I bought everything on Ella’s Christmas list, including the roller boots that evil man had threatened to take away.

Me and Mum did our best to give the kids a happy time, but the spectre of what Tony had done hung over all of us.

The legal proceedings rumbled on and on.

Meanwhile, Ella suffered from night terrors.

Holding her close in the dark each night, I wished over and over that I could go back in time and stop myself from inviting that paedophile into our happy home.

Eventually, Tony pleaded guilty to the child sex charges brought against him.

He was jailed and ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Ella still had the mental scars from what Tony made her do. She’d always been my happy girl, but now she was shaken, angry.

Seeing her transformed like that riddled me with guilt. I was the one who brought Tony into our lives.

But I’ve had to learn, as much as Ella, that none of this is our fault.

Tony was the monster and he forced my daughter to keep his sick secret.

Now he’s in a prison cell and we’re slowly getting back to normal.

We’re rebuilding the magic of Christmas.

I always make sure Ella gets everything on her list and make sure that she feels safe and loved.

I couldn’t protect her from that monster. But this I can do, and I always will.