A mum who was sexually abused by her uncle during a game of hide and seek has described her struggle to bring him to justice.

Michelle Hadley, 33, of Stanhope, has waived her right to anonymity and spoken of her experiences at the hands of abuser Stephen Billett, who has admitted a charge of indecent assault on a child under 13.

The offence took place in the early 1990s.

The mother-of-two said she had bottled up her experience of when she was a little girl and would visit Billett’s home in Speldhurst Close, Stanhope.

She said: “It was all part of a game of hide and seek and it led to him touching me.

“He grabbed hold of my hand and made me touch him. I was around six years old at the time.

“At the time it happened, I was shocked and scared. I never told anyone about it. My parents found out when I was a teenager.

“After I had my daughter, I didn’t want anyone around her, I didn’t trust anyone. I confronted my aunt about it and she was shocked and upset but a week later he was living back there."

"At the time it happened, I was shocked and scared. I never told anyone about it" - Michelle Hadley

Ms Hadley said the experience has affected her throughout her life. She has been unable to return to work as a legal assistant because she can’t trust people to look after her daughter.

She said: “It’s affected how I view anyone and who I leave my children with. I couldn’t leave my daughter with anyone, so I didn’t return to work and gave up my job. I have taken all kinds of medication and had counselling afterwards.

“Now I look at my daughter and see that she is the same age I was and think, God forbid anyone could look at her in the wrong way.”

She was encouraged to report the crime to the police, who arrested and charged Billett in October 2015.

He was acquitted of historic sex offences against other victims but admitted indecent assault against Ms Hadley.

He was given a suspended prison sentence of 20 months and put under curfew at his home address. He has been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.