Exploited girl had bottled up her feelings for years

A VULNERABLE girl who was exploited by an older boy for sex when she was underage has said: “He only cared about himself.”

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had already suffered serious sexual abuse when she was targeted by Brandon Swinney.

Swinney, then 17, met the younger girl in a park and had sex with her several years ago.

In a powerful statement read to Teesside Crown Court, she wrote: “I was a very confused and vulnerable girl, although I didn’t understand that at the time.

“I had suffered massive trauma and was still recovering from it.

“I was making bad choices, getting into trouble and was very angry at the world over what had happened to me.

“Brandon knew all about it. That didn’t stop him taking emotional and physical advantage of me though.

“Looking back I realise I meant nothing to him. He did what he wanted with me and left.

“I was desperate to be liked, unhappy and confused. At the time I thought doing things like that would make me popular and happy. I was very wrong.

“I wish I could go back in time and warn myself.”

She told how Swinney’s sexual offence against her still caused problems today, putting strain on family relationships.

“I didn’t know how to cope with the feelings of guilt and shame inside me,” she added.

She said she bottled it up for years until a detective contacted her after Swinney contacted her online asking to meet again.

She said she supported police in their efforts to catch “sexual predators like Swinney”.

“I worry that Brandon could have been like this with lots of girls my age.

“I know he only cared about himself and all the things he said about loving me were untrue and said so that he could get to have sex with me again.

“I’m so glad the police intervened and stopped us from meeting.

“I feel ashamed of myself and still regret my actions as a vulnerable girl.

“I also feel angry that he hid being a registered sex offender.

“I’m trying to put my life together but it’s really hard.

“I continue to have issues with trust. I don’t think I could ever trust a lad again.”

Swinney, now 21, who has lived in Middlesbrough and South Bank but latterly of Newcastle, was jailed for three years after he admitted sexual activity with a child and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.