Lindsay Blantern, 34, bravely waived her right to anonymity to tell Cavendish Press how she was abused by her step-dad for almost two years when she as a child. Lindsay, was just seven when her single mum got a new boyfriend, Chris Brennan and he turned violent towards her from the age of nine, hitting her for being naughty, tearing pages out of her books and grounding her for no reason before sexually abusing her. He eventually threatened to kill her beloved nan and granddad if she told anyone about what he was doing, so she kept quiet. Lindsay would just lay in numb silence as she was repeatedly targeted by drinker Brennan who made her perform intimate acts on him after school while her mum was safely out of the way before she came home at 6pm. The schoolgirl began dreading coming home, wondering if today would be one of those days and she hated going to bed as he’d sometimes climb in there after her. When Brennan and her mum married, Lindsay, then 12, was a bridesmaid and the family went on holidays together, but Lindsay always made it clear she didn’t like Brennan. Her mum assumed this was because Lindsay had been used to having just her and her brother around for so many years, as she’d split with her dad when she was young.  Lindsay says the abuse stopped when her mum caught Brennan getting into her bed one night and although her mum had assumed he’d just climbed into the wrong bed in a drunken mistake, Brennan ceased his activities for fear of getting caught. Lindsay claims Brennan had sometimes been violent towards her mum and they eventually divorced after Lindsay saw him hit her one night. But even then, Lindsay couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone, as she feared what he might do. But after borrowing a book from her best friend, called The Little Prisoner, in November 2008 Lindsay was compelled by the true story about sexual abuse which she felt mirrored her own experience in many ways and she even marked sections of the book. After years of silence she finally confided in her best friend, who encouraged her to go and see someone. Lindsay went to see a doctor, taking the book with her so she wouldn’t have to relay everything and she was referred to a counsellor who made her see she had nothing to be ashamed of. Lindsay briefly told her mum what had happened, before reporting Brennan to police in January 2009. Brennan, 55, was jailed for six years in April 2010 after he was found guilty of indecency with a child and indecent assault. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offender’s Register for life and a detective described him as a “very dangerous individual” after the court heard he had repeatedly sexually assaulted her over a period of around two years, from 1987 to 1988, beginning when she was ten. The story went in Take A Break magazine.

If you have a story to tell and sell why not give our team of journalists a call on 0044 (0)161 237 1066 email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or click here to complete our free on line form to see if you can turn your story into cash today – we’d love to hear from you.