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A man from Greater Manchester has been jailed for raping a boy he used to babysit.
Daniel Bird, 23, of Northenden Road, Sale Moor was found guilty of four counts of rape following a trial at Manchester Crown Court.
He was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.
Bird's victim, now aged 17, found the courage to come forward after watching a rape storyline on the soap opera Coronation Street.
A spokesperson for Coronation Street said: “Having worked closely with the St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester on this storyline, we are pleased that the portrayal and subsequent aftermath of Carla's rape on Coronation Street has helped this victim to seek the appropriate help and guidance needed.
“We never seek to highlight an issue - just tell the best story for every character. When we do touch on issues we obviously strive to make sure our research is flawless and the depiction an accurate and truthful one.”
The abuse occurred back in around 2004, when Bird was 15 or 16 and his victim was eight-years-old.
Bird babysat the boy and his sibling at their home in south Manchester, and raped the younger boy on four separate occasions. He warned his victim not to come forward after each attack.
Detective Constable Grace Hulse from GMP’s Public Protection Investigation Unit said: "It has taken an incredible amount of courage for the victim in this case to come forward and tell his family and the police about what happened to him. Today, thanks to his bravery, his attacker has been put behind bars for his despicable actions.
"It will take a long time for the victim’s emotional scars to heal, but despite everything he has had to endure, this boy has selflessly offered to take part in media interviews to tell people about his ordeal, in the hope it will encourage others in similar positions to find the courage to speak out.
"This case highlights just how thoroughly the police investigate all reports of rape and the support provided to victims from ourselves and other agencies such as St Mary’s, from the first time they call us and all the way through the criminal justice process.
"We have specially-trained officers who give a tremendous amount of time and support to anyone who has been a victim of rape and I would encourage anyone who has been subjected to such an attack to contact us."
