Rapist weeps in the dock as jury convicts him of sex crimes against a child

A child sex offender wept in the dock as he was found guilty of raping a boy who had called him a “sick coward” on Facebook.
Peter Thompson, 31, was accused of using a young boy as a “sexual plaything” more than a decade ago.
A jury convicted him on seven charges – five of rape, one of sexual assault, one of inciting sexual activity, all against a child under 13.
Thompson cried as the jury delivered unanimous verdicts at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday.
Jurors cleared him on seven other counts – two of rape, four of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child – after a four-day trial.
He had denied all the charges and stood trial twice.
He was a teenager when he committed the series of sexual offences against a primary school pupil.
It was alleged he manipulated, cajoled, molested and raped the younger boy in Middlesbrough.
Prosecutor Paul Cleasby said Thompson took the vulnerable boy to woodland to touch him and took him to a garage or outhouse to show him pornography.
He subjected the smaller boy to escalating abuse, sometimes under the guise of a game, it was alleged.
Thompson was accused of telling the boy he would get into trouble if he spoke out to anyone.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was affected by his experiences and later told his family.
And he confronted Thompson in a message on Facebook years later calling him a twisted coward, jurors heard.
He wrote: “We’re going to have a talk, me and you.
“For too long this secret’s been in the back of my head. You’d best get in touch.”
Thompson replied he did not know what the young man was talking about, saying: “Don’t start sending me stupid messages.
“I don’t even live in Boro anymore.
“I’ve finally put my life back on track… Leave me alone. I just want to be left alone to raise my kids.
“I’ve turned myself around, met the love of my life. I’m the person I always wanted to be.
“I hate who I was back then. I left that person in Boro. He’s never coming back.”
The victim replied: “You sick coward. Don’t even have the balls to meet me and admit what you’ve done… You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
In the first trial, Thompson told the jury: “I haven’t done any of this.
“I don’t understand why I’m being accused of this. It didn’t happen.
“I didn’t do any of these crimes. I’ve never been horrible to anyone.”
Mr Cleasby accused him of taking advantage of the boy’s youth, using him as a “sexual plaything”.
Thompson denied taking out his desires on a compliant child or trying to manipulate him into feeling sorry for him.
He said he had been arrogant as a teenager, but denied sexual abuse.
He said: “I’m not that type of person.
“Everyone can make up a story. Everyone can tell a lie.
“I’ve never given him any reason to hate me. I’ve never bullied him. I’ve never upset him as far as I know.”
The jury in the first trial in March was discharged. A second trial took place last week.
After the verdicts Judge Amanda Rippon said: “I’m not going to deal with sentence today.
“There are lots of matters which make this complicated.
“He was a juvenile himself at the time of these offences and they were some time ago.”
Thompson, formerly of Maltby Place, Thornaby, was bailed until sentence at Newcastle Crown Court on July 12.
He broke down when the judge said he needed to “set his affairs in order and say the goodbyes he needs to say”.
She told him: “The overwhelming likelihood, in fact inevitability, is a custodial sentence of some length.
“And you must get yourself ready for that.”