Young victim of Sunderland caravan pervert Darren Trott tells of drugs and sexual exploitation

The teenager spoke to the Echo of her desire to help other victims, after Trott was jailed for four years and eight months by a judge at Newcastle Crown court, after admitting three counts of sexual assault.

Trott targeted teens who were homeless or in the care system and plied them with legal highs.

The 33-year-old sexually assaulted the girls, who were described in court as “particularly vulnerable”, at his compound near St Peter’s Metro station, which he ran like a “drop-in centre”.

One of his victims said she first met him through mutual acquaintances.

She told the Echo: “I got to know him through people I knew in the past.

“I was on the same drugs he was – it was legal highs,

“He said he had a yard over at St Peter’s and a caravan and I could come over and we would take legal highs together.”

The victim said she trusted Trott and stayed with him in the caravan for a number of weeks.

“He seemed trustworthy and helpful,” she said. “It was me, him and lots of other males there.

“He said he loved me and wanted to be with me.

“He tried to touch me and stuff, but I pushed him away. I told him I didn’t want to.

“He would buy me legal highs every day. The other males there were on legal highs too and they would make inappropriate comments.”

The woman said she would black out from the drugs and she twice woke up to Trott sexually assaulting her.

After the second time, she left the caravan, and she has now moved away the North East altogether.

She is taking sleeping tablets and anti-depressants to help her cope, but she has bravely enrolled in college in a bid to become a counsellor to help other victims.

She said: “I’m struggling to move on with my life – I’m struggling to trust anyone.

“I don’t believe anything that anyone says to me anymore.

“I want to be a counsellor and help others in my situation – those who have been through sexual exploitation and domestic violence.

“I think it is really important and would make a massive difference to vulnerable young girls.

“I don’t want anybody to go through what I’ve been through.”

Judge Amanda Rippon told Trott: “Drugs were used to facilitate the assaults

“At the time those drugs were legal highs.

“Drug consumption rendered each girl insensible so you could take advantage of them and commit the assaults you did.”