A paedophile who engaged in a three-year “campaign of rape” against a young boy has been imprisoned for a longer period of time than many murderers.
The child was raped at a water park by Oliver Roughley, 24, when he was just seven years old. Roughley has been charged with child sexual abuse.
He used violence to keep him quiet, including pulling his arm behind his back, and groomed him by purchasing him gifts like toy cars and teddy bears.
The predator then sent the youngster messages declaring his love in his late teens while keeping a pair of the boy’s underpants in his bedroom.
Roughley’s treatment of the child worsened until he raped him in the bathrooms at Splash World in Southport and the swimming pools in South Liverpool.
He threatened to abandon the youngster at these spots if he did not give in to his sinister wishes.
Roughley abused him until he was nine years old, engaging in sex acts with him and giving him love bites.
