A man who sexually abused a young boy 20 years ago when he was himself a child has been jailed for 21 months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard there had been a hate campaign waged against Mark Cheal and his partner since he was convicted last month of eight offences of indecency with a child and five of indecent assault.

Now a 33-year-old father expecting another child, he was cleared of two charges of rape by direction of the judge and two of indecency with a child and one of indecent assault.

Prosecutor Samantha Cohen said Cheal, of Henwood Green Road, Tunbridge Wells, was about 11 when he started abusing the victim, who was six.

He cuddled and kissed the victim and led on to having sex with him.

Judge Philip Statman was told when the former drug addict appeared for sentence that he was still in denial.

“You know these matters are not admitted and will remain unadmitted,” said defence lawyer Jan Hayne.

“Twenty years have passed without him committing anything of a sexual nature,” said Miss Hayne. “His lifestyle has been utterly disrupted by the delay in reporting these matters.”

Cheal, whose previous partner died from a drugs overdose, had told her: “I have had death threats. I have been threatened with my house being burnt, with being hung and with being killed.

“My son has had untold grief as a result of this and my unborn baby has been put on the at risk register. It has destroyed me. I am not saying I was a nice person. I had a lot of friends and now I have not got any. I feel I have been sentenced already.”

Judge Statman told Cheal: “You were the elder by a number of years, coming into an age where you would be facing puberty and being a developed adolescent.

“The pre-sentence report indicates you are in total denial as to that which occurred. You have absolutely no empathy for your victim. I am satisfied he has suffered considerably as a result of what you have done to him.”

The judge said it was difficult to sentence in cases of historic sexual abuse. “Sentencing remains an art form and not a science,” he added.