Like a dad about to read a story, Hanley unfolded a copy of Hustler and turned the pages, showing Mark photographs of nude women, “telling me all about the clitoris, how it fills up with blood just like when boys get an erection and blood rushes into the penis,” Serrano says. One afternoon, as Father Jim sat in his recliner, he told Mark, “Hop up.” They met that way, just twenty to thirty minutes at a time, once or twice a week, throughout that year – never a sexual touch, only the slow, emotional seduction, sealed with a kiss. “His kissing me was meant to be like kissing my father. “He talked so much about kissing,” says Serrano today. “Now give me a kiss goodbye.” As he spoke, he put his lips to Mark’s. “You kiss your father good night,” said Hanley. Mark had no idea his dad called him that. “Your father tells me you kiss him every night before you go to bed,” Hanley went on. “I love you” was one phrase Mark hadn’t heard them say. But they were reticent about putting every emotion into words. His mom and dad encouraged all of the children and were generous with hugs and kisses.
“You’re such a good kid,” Hanley said, smiling.
He had just turned ten when one day Hanley invited him into his bedroom. Mark started out visiting after school or on Saturdays, maybe once or twice a week. If no response came, you knew to return another time. When Hanley’s voice boomed down, “Yeah?” you could head up. Stephen was also handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to pay victim costs of £140.To visit Father Jim, you first had to ask the housekeeper. “If you have been affected by sexual abuse, please know that we are here, we will listen to you and we will do all we can to support you.” “Abuse like this can have life-long, damaging impacts for victims and we will do all we can, alongside social care, to support those at risk and seek justice on their behalf. She said: “I would like to praise the victim for the tremendous courage he has shown throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Natalie Duffy also praised the boy for coming forward and assisting the police with their investigations into Stephenson. “She exploited a family’s trust in her and I’m thankful that this is reflected in her receiving a custodial sentence and being placed on the register.” She said: “Stephenson claimed she knew her actions were wrong due to the boy’s age, but this wasn’t enough to stop her, and instead she presented a number of excuses for her perverse actions. She also attempted to blame her victim, while saying she felt guilty about her conduct.įollowing the sentencing, investigating officer Natalie Duffy said Stephenson was aware that her actions were “wrong” but pursued the teen regardless. In her police interview, Stephenson admitted the pair had sex but argued it was consensual. Her victim, who has not been named for legal reasons, suffered mental health issues and disclosed the abuse to his GP before a referral was made to social care. The court heard how she had exchanged “flirty” messages with the school boy and then had sex with him while her partner was away from their home in 2018. Laura Stephenson, now 28, was given a 21-month sentence at Sheffield Crown Court after she admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child. A “perverse” woman who lured a 15-year-old boy to her home and had sex with him twice while her boyfriend was at work has been jailed.