A dad-of-two and former NHS worker raped a young boy when he himself was a teenager.
Philip Boardman has worked as a healthcare assistant in hospitals, as an ambulance technician, and as a courier for a medical firm. Liverpool Crown Court today heard the married 45-year-old, who has two sons, was described as a "caring" father and husband.
But in the early 1990s, when he was aged between 14 and 17, he destroyed the life of a "terrified" young boy, living in the St Helens area. Judge David Swinnerton told Boardman: "Your wife describes you as a caring, fun loving and devoted dad and a very caring husband. Your parents-in-law speak highly of you. That happy and productive adult life hid a dark secret."
