By Lauren Gregory and Lydia Hawken For Mailonline
12:49 23 Dec 2023, updated 12:49 23 Dec 2023
A woman has revealed she was sexually assaulted by her father’s best friend who groomed her with Christmas presents as a child before confessing his love.
Katie James, 19, from Cwmbran, South Wales, had known Tino Iacovou all her life and would see him most weekends when visiting her father.
Describing how he was an ‘uncle figure’ in her life, the teenager explained how Tino would shower her with sweets and presents.
She said: ‘He’d always play with me. When I was six, he bought me my favourite teddy bear, Ruby, for Christmas.’
However, Katie says their ‘uncle-niece’ relationship changed when she hit her teenage years.
She explained: ‘One day, we were all in my kitchen.
‘I hopped onto Tino’s back for a piggyback, but his hands touched my bottom, and he kept them there for a while.
‘Feeling uncomfortable, I quickly jumped off.
‘He acted like nothing had happened and carried on talking to my dad.’
Afterwards, Katie says Tino would regularly start being over-affectionate towards her.
The teen recalls Tino ‘constantly’ asking for hugs and offering to give her back massages.
Katie explained: ‘I let him because I thought I trusted him.’
Following this, Katie recalled how Tino wouldn’t come over to her father’s house without bringing her a gift.
She said: ‘He’d always come round with sweets for me and rocks and crystals which he knew I collected.
‘The next Christmas, he even helped my dad buy me an Xbox. I started to feel really uncomfortable around him.’
In 2018, Tino sexually assaulted Katie – who was 14 at the time – in the living room of her father’s home.
The pair were watching TV while Katie’s father was in bed.
She explained: ‘Tino came and laid down next to me on the sofa.
‘Suddenly, he lifted up my pyjama top and felt my breasts, before taking his hand up my trouser leg and groping my privates.
‘I was in complete shock and didn’t know what to say or do.’
Katie says Tino only stopped because she heard her father stirring in his bedroom.
However, he then cradled Katie, kissed her and said that he loved her.
Following the assault, Katie was traumatised and said she avoided ever being around Tino – choosing to stay in her room when he visited.
When she did inevitably have to see him, Katie says Tino acted as though nothing had happened and would insist on sitting beside her and giving her hugs.
She explained: ‘For a while, I couldn’t get my head around what had happened.
‘But a month later, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had panic attacks and isolated myself in my bedroom, away from my family.’
After this, Katie found the courage to tell her mother about the assault and with her parents’ full support, she reported Tino to the police.
Following his arrest, Tino denied everything – which meant the case had to go to trial.
Katie continued: ‘I was devastated that it had to go to trial.
‘When I gave my evidence in court, I faced Tino for what I hoped would be the last time.’
In September 2022, Tino was found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison that November.
What’s more, he has also been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
Katie added: ‘The sentence is nothing for what he did to me. During the trial, I felt ridiculed and embarrassed.
‘He made out that I was happy for him to touch me. But I’m so glad I brought him to justice.
‘If you’ve been abused, please tell someone. You will be believed.’
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, Rape Crisis offers support to victims of assault in the UK.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
