Monday, January 25, 2010

Sexually abused stepdaughter speaks out against child porn stepdad (Portland, England, United Kingdom)

Stepdad ANDREW MOISAN has been jailed for 4 1/2 years after pleading guilty to 24 sexual offenses against his stepdaughter, beginning when she was 14. Hmm. That averages out to less than 2 months per offense. That's showing how tough our society is on sex offenders, huh? And that's not even going into the child porn.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/8479033.stm

Abused step-daughter from Portland speaks out

A woman who was sexually abused by her step-father for five years has broken her silence to help other victims.

Rebekah Cresswell-Jeal, 20, of Portland, Dorset, waived her right to anonymity to talk about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Andrew Moisan.

Dorset Police praised her "bravery" in reliving the ordeal which began at the age of 14.

Moisan, of Weymouth, was jailed for four-and-a-half years in December 2009 after admitting 24 sexual offences.

He was arrested in April 2009 and pleaded guilty to three charges of indecently assaulting his step-daughter in 2003 and one charge of sexual assault in March 2005.

'Huge relief'

He also pleaded guilty to a further 20 charges of taking or making indecent photographs/movies of children, which related to more than 500 images and four movies taken between 1979 and 2008.

The court heard he stored hundreds of lurid photos of his step-daughter on his home computer in a folder called BIB which stood for Becka in bed.

Police said Moisan had taken the pictures while she was asleep in bed in her room.

Miss Cresswell-Jeal said that she had been in a complete state of denial over the years.

"It ruined everything for me and I just thought how could I carry on?", she said.

"When you are in those situations, your thinking becomes completely illogical."

Moisan kept hundreds of images on his home computer in a folder called BIB

Ms Cresswell-Jeal, who is receiving cognitive behavioural therapy, said it was a huge relief when the police were called but it had been difficult to tell people what had happened.

"It's not an overnight fix to say something and it's not going to be as simple as telling the police and everything is wonderful and you get on with your life," she said.

"It's a process which you have to go through and it will take a long time, but I am closer to feeling back to normal than a year-and-a-half ago when I first said something.

"What's happened to me hasn't stopped my life altogether. It has sort of just held me back a bit."
In 2009 in Dorset, 106 crimes of rape or sexual assault were reported to police where the victim was aged 17 or under, 31 cases higher than in 2008.

Det Con Natasha Lawrence, who investigated Ms Cresswell-Jeal's case said: "This does not necessarily mean that there is more sex abuse within families in Dorset, but it could indicate that more abuse victims are coming forward and disclosing what has happened to them.

"Child abuse seems to still be quite a taboo subject but Rebekah's bravery in coming forward to talk about her experience will hopefully lead to more victims getting the confidence to approach the police."