A victim of a convicted child sex offender has spoken out for the first time about her harrowing ordeal.
The girl was just a child when Michael Griffiths sexually assaulted her, permanently shattering her trust in others forever.
Griffiths, 34, from Tameside, was jailed for 11 years and three months for his crimes in October 2023. They include 17 counts of sexual activity with a child.
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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, one of his victims has revealed how the trauma she endured continues to devastate her life.
“I knew it was wrong,” she said. “I couldn’t do anything about it. I didn’t tell anyone for a year. My behaviour was off and I was stressed. I couldn’t tell anyone why; I just said it was school.”
Griffiths sexually assaulted the girl on three occasions over the course of several years. Though she was desperate to tell others what had happened, she worried nobody would believe her.
“I was just scared of him,” she added. “[During one assault] I just froze. I didn’t know what to do.
“I did want to tell people. He probably got more comfortable after he realised I wouldn’t say anything. It made me feel disgusted; it was revolting and I couldn’t do anything about it."
The victim says the assaults have impacted every aspect of her life – from relationships to school grades.
“[It’s affected] literally everything,” she added. “My school grades did drop a bit because of him.
“I don’t think I can ever look at anyone and not think they have malicious thoughts. I don’t think I can ever fully trust a person again because of it.
“My counsellor has been a big help. I had really bad anxiety when
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