RAPE victim Samantha Wilson has broken her silence about her hellish years of secret suffering at the hands of a vile paedophile.

Speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo, Samantha told of the repeated rapes she endured from the man she affectionately called 'grandad' and how she is still struggling to cope with the legacy of the horrific attacks.

Now she is determined to help other victims of child sex abuse so her own living nightmare is not repeated.

The steely-nerved 20-year-old, who courageously waived her right to anonymity after her abuser Cameron McIvor was jailed for rape and sexual indecency, is determined to set-up a support group for victims of sex abuse.

"I would not want any child to grow up with the feelings of guilt, self-loathing and shame that I grew-up with," says Samantha, with tears in her eyes.

"I had to bury my feelings for years and I think there is a real need for a support group to help victims regain their broken confidence," added the single mother.

Samantha, from Stockton, felt desperate and alone even after the abuse ended at the age of twelve and has never before talked openly about the horrific experience.

While she was promised counselling from Cleveland Police's child protection department after McIvor's conviction, she has not yet received any therapy. Samantha, who was abused for four years along with younger sister Clare, spoke of the lasting guilt she felt at failing to protect 18-year-old Clare from McIvor's sexual abuse.

"In many ways, that's the worst part of it all, knowing that he was hurting my younger sister too and not being able to do anything about it," she said.

The unspeakable ordeal has blighted her life and relationships forever. She feels she can never trust a man again and is will not let ...out of her sight for fear of paedophile attack.

"I'm absolutely paranoid about my son being abused and I can see how my experience will affect him as he grows up. I can't imagine letting him go out to play with his friends like any other youngster," said Samantha.

She added her brutal loss of innocence has left her with depression and a shattered self-image. She shut herself away in her bedroom for hours as a teenager and took no pride in her appearance, wearing the same baggy sports clothes most of the time.

And she recounted the horror at having to live through every moment of her four-year ordeal in a three year court battle, which end in a seven-year conviction for Cameron McIvor last November.