I've known for a good while that he was a bit 'dodgy'. Since my mid-teens, I guess. In 2002, as some of you may remember, he was arrested and charged with child sex offences. They had had apparently occurred in the early 80s, when he was in his late 20s, and they in their mid-teens.
It knocked me for six, took me ten years to get over, and most of the fall out was recorded here. And even though I always thought he was guilty, he got found not guilty. So he came back 'home'. And over the years, we 'forgot' about it. It was always there, but on a day to day existence level, he was alright. In fact, superficially 'nice'.
And I was like 'Man shags 15 year olds in 1984. Well, it's not good, but this is 2004, so let's move on'.
For over ten years, we did 'move on'. Pretended like it had never happened. (Censored)
But this is 2016, and I admit it did happen.
Now, call me a 'paedo' apologist if you like, but I do actually think there's a difference between a 31 year old man having sex with a 14 year old, and a 63 year old abusing a 5 year old. Who just happens to be his own granddaughter.
They are both abuse and rape, but maybe one looks like ephebopholia, and one paeophilia.
But please remember, if we'd had any inkling it was the latter - never mind the former - we would not have let him anywhere near.
If he was anyone else, he would be dead now - my brother would've killed him.
But he's not anyone else, so he lives from prison, but is dead to us.
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