Ben Cammillare just just a teenager when he was preyed on by 62-year-old Paul Jones
Ben Cammillare hopes his story will give other victims the confidence to come forward(Image: Iain Watts)
A young dad who was abused by a paedophile has bravely shared his story of survival as he tells other victims “it’s nothing to be ashamed of”. Ben Cammillare was 14-years-old when he was preyed on by Paul Jones, 62, a family friend with “an unhealthy sexual interest” in him.
Now 26, Ben has bravely waived his right to anonymity in the hope that speaking out about what happened will give other victims the courage to come forward.
Ben, from Leasowe, said he first met Jones at a family party 12 years ago, when he was 14. Jones, a workmate of Ben’s uncle, quickly ingratiated himself with both Ben and his mum Emma, taking him on day trips out to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, truck stops and the Silverstone Circuit in Towcester.
He became like a member of the family, taking Ben on short holidays to Belfast, Cancun and Tenerife, and bonding with him over a shared love of machinery and Eddie Stobart trucks. But secretly Jones had an “unhealthy sexual interest” in the teenager.
As Ben grew older, he said he deliberately distanced himself from Jones. But Jones remained a close family friend, comforting Emma after her dad died suddenly and even driving her to the funeral home to see his body.
In 2018, Ben and his partner welcomed their first child into the world, Phoebe. He said his little girl had “kept him going” during his darkest moments.
Ben said: “I remember my mum suggesting Paul to be godfather for Phoebe. At that point, she had no idea. I shot her down straight away. I said no way, not happening, not her godfather, no way.”
Ben Cammillare, 26, has bravely spoken out about his experience
It would be another five years before he finally gathered the courage to confide in his stepdad what had happened to him. He said: “One day something just clicked in me on my way home from work. I just messaged my stepdad and said ‘I need to tell you something’.
“When I got home he came up to my room and I told him what happened. But I genuinely didn’t think anyone was going to believe me because of the way he acted around everyone.”
The horrific revelation came as a terrible shock to Emma, who believed Jones was “normal” and had “no red flags at all”. Describing Jones as “an evil man”, she said: “It’s still not sunk in with me. You read stuff like this in magazines and it doesn’t happen to you. To know that I trusted him.
Ben Cammillare, 26, pictured with his mum Emma
“I know Ben is nearly 27 now, but he’s my baby and I feel I’ve not protected Ben as a mum. I feel I’ve let him down because of what he has done to my son.”
Paul Jones, of Davenham Avenue, Oxton, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court this week. He admitted sexual activity with a child, as the court heard how on two occasions he had touched the boy sexually.
He was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation days and a four month curfew. He was also given a restraining order and a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Both Ben and his mum said they were disappointed with the outcome, as Ben said: “My view on paedophiles is they should be locked up. The person lives their whole life with that. I’ve still got the memories. I can still remember some of the feelings of what happened.
“I could say worse, a lot worse. He’s cancer of the earth. If I had my way he’d be locked in a cell with the key thrown away.”
Paul Jones, of Davenham Avenue, Oxton
Despite this, he said his long fight for justice had “made him stronger”, and he is now working towards his dream job as a trucker for WS Transportation.
He said: “It has been a struggle. My mental health took a massive dip. There’s been at least two games for Tranmere where I didn’t go because I didn’t feel up for it. Things like just going down the road, I couldn’t face it because I was so stressed about going out.
“Everyone knows him now. Everyone knows what he is and what he’s done, and no one is going to want to go near him.
“I have seen comments about him from people saying he should be locked up for life. I loved seeing the comments and seeing that people were supporting me, not him.”
He added: “It’s nothing for me to be ashamed of. If people see this, see my name, that I’m the victim in this case, it might give them confidence to come forward.
“The reason I didn’t come out about this was because I thought no one is going to believe it. But when it came out, my stepdad believed me, my mum believed me, and it snowballed from there with everyone believing what was going on.”