An actor who was abused hundreds of times by a paedophile in a five-year ordeal has waived his right to anonymity to speak about his fight for justice.

Courageous Stuart Antony sat in court and watched Billy Nutt receive an 18-year jail sentence for his vile crimes.

Nutt, who once supported Shirley Bassey on tour, used his showbiz links to lure his three young victims.

He named his boat One Moment after one of his songs but then used it to carry out some of the attacks on the boys.

After the sentencing Stuart, 34, said: "It was a long, tiring investigation and trial and sometimes I wondered if it was all worth it.

"Yes it bloody was!"

He said the abuse first started when he was 10. Nutt was a family friend who sang in the pub where his mum worked.

"We just saw him like an uncle but looking back it was all part of that grooming process," he said.

EastEnders and The Bill actor Stuart - who is appearing in the show Cockney and Scouse, which is being shown across the USA - first reported the attacks in 2016.

"What triggered it for me was knowing he had just been jailed for abusing another child," he said.

"I thought if I come forward and report it... I might prevent him from attacking other victims."

Stuart, from Gravesend, has given KentOnline permission to use his name and details in this article.

He said: "I picked up the phone. I felt guilty and nervous but I knew this had to be done. I had had years of counselling and thought I could deal with the issues that way but deep inside I knew I need to report him to police and I am so glad that I did."

Officers arrived at his home within an hour to take his statement.

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Stuart added: "At first I was reluctant to tell them everything because of embarrassment and guilt. But these were specially trained officers who immediately put me at ease.

"I was just so pleased somebody believed me because I had bottled this up for years, which affected all my personal life leaving me angry and drinking too much."

The dossier was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service and by the time they authorised a charge two other victims had come forward.

The case then took nearly five years before it got to court because it was a painstaking investigation.

Stuart added: "Many times I was tempted to say I don't want it to continue but then I reminded myself there were others who had come forward.

"And I have to say I received the best support from my family and friends. I can't thank them enough for their love, especially when I was at my lowest."

Stuart has used his experiences to pen a new TV drama and has been researching the life of barristers to help with the project. It is called Iris and is expected to be on TV next year.

Nutt was charged with 21 sexual offences involving three children in Maidstone, Dartford and Broadstairs. He pleaded not guilty but was convicted after a 12-day trial. Stuart decided to attend the sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court to see the outcome of the case.

"As I sat in the public gallery, I could hear my heart beating. Even though Nutt had been found guilty I still felt nervous and I was genuinely shocked when I heard the judge say 18 years... but it is a just sentence," he said.

"I suffered in silence...no-one should have to do that.

"William Nutt sexually abused me on hundreds of occasions over a long period of time which has mentally scarred me. I cannot and will not let this haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Having to tell my mother, partner and loved ones intimate details about this abuse is something that I wouldn’t wish on anybody."

"My anger, sadness and guilt towards this situation has controlled me for over two decades and it will not from this moment on.

"The fact that I’ve had to stand up in a court full of people and tell them exactly what happened to me is the most embarrassing and shameful moment of my life.

"Having to tell my mother, partner and loved ones intimate details about this abuse is something that I wouldn’t wish on anybody.

"Thank you to my family and friends for being there every step of the way, Kent Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and prosecution barrister Madeline Wolfe."

Nutt, now of Week Street, Maidstone, is a former landlord, who grew up in Temple Hill, Dartford, and ran pubs in Folkestone and Canterbury.

"I would like to commend the three victims for the courage they have shown in ensuring their abuser has now been convicted."

He was jailed in 2015 for abusing a four-year-old boy and again in 2019 for grooming another child.

Commenting on the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Nicky Spicer of the North Kent Vulnerability Investigation Team, said: "Nutt has subjected three vulnerable young victims to appalling crimes for his own gratification.

"This was compounded when he pleaded not guilty at the trial and forced the victims to revisit their ordeals whilst giving evidence.

"I would like to commend the three victims for the courage they have shown in ensuring their abuser has now been convicted.

"This sentence illustrates once again our determination to investigate all reports of non-recent sex offences and I hope it will encourage other victims of this type of abuse to come forward.

"We have a team of specialist officers who work relentlessly to ensure that offenders like Nutt do not evade justice, just because a crime may have happened a long time ago.

"I would also like to assure anyone who may have been a victim of abuse that they will be treated with the utmost care and understanding."

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “It is clear from the sheer volume and timescale of Nutt’s child abuse that he felt no real remorse for his destructive behaviour.

“But thanks to the commendable courage of those he abused, this dangerous sexual predator is being forced to face consequences of his actions.

“The NSPCC is urging anyone who has suffered abuse as a child, no matter how long ago it happened, to come forward to the police or our NSPCC helpline.

"Anyone with concerns about a child, even if they’re unsure, can also contact the NSPCC helpline to speak to one of the charity’s professionals on 0808 800 5000, by email at help@nspcc.org.uk or by filling in the online form.
"Children can contact Childline.”