“YOU don’t have to live in silence. Find the courage to speak to somebody.”

These are the words of one of Mark McCormick’s victims after he was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court yesterday.

The woman, who was raped by McCormick and cannot be identified for legal reasons, said she decided to come forward after she “hit rock bottom”.

“I went into alcohol and drugs, it was all related to that. My marriage had ended. I just thought enough is enough,” she said.

Now she is encouraging victims of sexual abuses to come forward.

“I was worried about going to court but he [McCormick] was in the community. He had access to children and by that point I thought ‘he can’t carry on offending’,” she said.

And she added: “I just wanted to put out there that it’s scary coming forward but you don’t have to live in silence and go around like a dead weight, that is how I felt.

"Find the courage to speak to somebody. You are not alone. We have come forward. This is now a new chapter, I started living my life as I should have done a long time ago.”

An appeal has also been launched by Eastleigh MP Mims Davies who said one of McCormick’s victims has contacted her in the past few weeks asking for help.

“The sentence Mark McCormick received will finally bring justice to his victims after many years and my thanks and sympathy goes out to them for the ordeal they have been through and their brave desire to see justice.

“One of the victims contacted me and I have assisted him to speak out. I would appeal to anybody else who is concerned about McCormick’s behaviour to come forward.”