A paedophile sexually abused a boy while ‘recovering and convalescing’ from a motorbike accident, a court heard.

Gerald Frederick Allaire, formerly of Clayton-le-Moors, abused the victim in the 1990s and left him with ‘severe psychological harm’.

The 45-year-old, who was previously jailed for possessing indecent images of children in 2008, was found guilty after a four-day trial at Preston Crown Court of two counts of indecent assault.

Haulage businessman Allaire, formerly of Devonshire Drive, was jailed at Carlisle Crown Court for five years, given a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Susan Carter, prosecuting, told the court that Allaire ‘maintains his denial in the pre-sentence report’.

The victim read out an impact statement at the sentencing hearing.

He told the court: “I don’t feel there’s any light at the end of the tunnel.

“I felt I was carrying a dirty secret around I my mind. I was embarrassed to tell anybody.”

Simon Mintz, defending, said there was ‘inevitably going to be significant psychological harm’ to the victim but that it was ‘not sufficiently severe’ to place it into the top sentencing category.

He told the court: “At the time of these offences [Allaire] was a young man in his early 20s who was recovering and convalescing mentally and physically from a very serious road accident.

“He was extremely socially isolated. It may be that had he enjoyed a more social life these most unfortunate offences might never have been committed.

“Since his release from prison [for the indecent images offences in 2008] he started a successful haulage business and led a productive life which unfortunately has been brought to an end by this conviction.

Carlisle Crown Court.

Judge James Adkin told Allaire, now of Liverpool, that he had a ‘sexual interest in children’ but did not class him as a ‘dangerous offender’.

Sentencing, he said: “If ever there was a case to demonstrate that abuse of small vulnerable children for sexual purposes continues to resonate over the years, even when those individuals are grown into adulthood, this case demonstrates that feature.”

'I’ve had this demon inside of me for years and now finally can talk about it'

Gerald Allaire’s victim said ‘no sentence will ever be long enough’ and described the paedophile as a ‘vile, disgusting human being’.

The victim, who lives in Hyndburn and cannot be named for legal reasons, said the defendant ‘deserved everything coming to him’.

Police were contacted by the victim in late 2016 after the victim was persuaded to report the offences by a friend.

Speaking exclusively to the Observer after the sentencing hearing, he said: “I’ve had this demon inside of me for years and now finally can talk about it.

“The sentence will never be long enough. I just want to try and move on. He deserves what he gets and more and he needs his name shaming.

“He’s really strange and an odd bloke. He always has been. He’s just a very horrible person.

“How could somebody do something like that? He has denied it all the way through and he still denies it now.”

The victim has also spoken of the horrific ordeal of giving evidence against Allaire during the trial and the moment he was found guilty by the jury.

He said: “I had never been into court before. I cried my eyes out. It was horrible. I couldn’t sleep.

“It was just the worry if he got away with it.

“When he was found guilty I just broke down. I didn’t even look at anyone. I didn’t say a word.

“I just burst out crying and had to have my hands over my head.

“I was just so glad and relieved that it was all worth it.

“The sentence will never be enough. I just want to try and move on. He deserves what he gets and more and he needs his name shaming.”

Detective Constable Tony Roberts, of Lancashire Police, led the case against Allaire and said he was ‘happy’ with jail sentence.

Speaking after the hearing, told the Observer: “It’s a good result and I’m happy with it. This case shows that we will investigate historic offences of sexual abuse and I would encourage any other victims to come forward.

“Despite not being given the dangerous person title [by the judge] Allaire is someone who has an unhealthy interest in young boys.”