Rotherham sex ring survivor 'so brainwashed' she did not realise abuse
A survivor of a Rotherham sex ring has told ITV News she was so "brainwashed" she did not even realise she was being abused.
The woman, now 30, was just 14 when she began seeing a 24-year-old man she believed was her boyfriend.
She said:
The woman, who we are calling Jessica to protect her identity, said she came from a "normal everyday family" but the man learned all he could about her to get her interested and then isolated her from her friends and family and made her embark on a life of crime.
"I think he was moulding me to become a criminal like he was so he wouldn't be the one getting sent to prison, it would be me, and to prevent me coming forward about anything else," she said.
Jessica is now urging other potential victims to come forward and tell the truth about what is happening to them so they can get men like her abuser off the streets.
She said: "I still suffer from depression and eating disorders. Everyday I wake up and I feel like I have to fight something.
"The things that he did, I'll never forget, they'll always remain with me, but I'm determined to move on with my future and make it a better one.
"If I can do it, then anyone can do it. And for me, when I came forward, it's not just helping me and my family but information led to identifying other girls and investigations started.
"Every person that does come forward can make a massive difference."
The signs she warns young girls to look out for are:
Age - if you're a child and they're an adult, it's abuse.
Buying things for you - it could be gifts, money, cigarettes, alcohol.
Controlling behaviour - constantly asking where you are, what you're doing and isolating you from people by telling you who you can associate with.
Sexual activity.