Man jailed for childhood rape of boy, 8

Paul Ferguson was jailed at Durham Crown Court for five years for the "horrific" attacks, police say

A man who repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted a boy more than 20 years ago has been jailed.

Paul Ferguson, from Stockton, was 14 years old when he first assaulted the boy, aged 8, between 2000 and 2003, Northumbria Police said.

The force said the victim sometimes stayed at a property where Ferguson was living, which was where Ferguson carried out the "horrific" attacks.

Ferguson, who initially denied the offences before changing his plea to guilty, was jailed for five years at Durham Crown Court on Friday.

Northumbria Police said, at the time of the assaults, the boy "cried, begged and screamed for Ferguson to stop".

Det Con Niamh Birdsall said: "What Ferguson did to the boy was horrific and he has had to live with the trauma of it throughout his life, as a child and an adult."

The man reported the rape and attacks to police in May 2022.

Ferguson denied the offences that year, but, following an investigation, was charged in 2024.

'Courage and bravery'

After continuing to deny three counts of rape of a boy under 16, and two counts of indecent assault of a boy under 14, Ferguson changed his plea to guilty on the third day of his trial at Teesside Crown Court.

Det Con Birdsall praised the victim's "courage and bravery to confide in those close to him about what happened, then disclose it to police and to see it through the court process".

"I hope this also provides courage to other people who may have experienced abuse, that no matter when it happened, it is never too late to be heard and to seek justice.

"While I understand it is extremely traumatic, there are specialist services available to provide support throughout," she added.