Man molested by convicted paedophile Barry Watson says abuse ruined his life

A MAN who claims he was molested by convicted paedophile Barry Watson says the abuse ruined his life.

The Loud Fence at Domeney Reserve, with tributes to Park Orchards victims of sexual abuse.

SEX abuse victim Henry has recently had his arm tattooed to hide the scars from cutting himself with razor blades and burning his skin with cigarette butts and a soldering iron.

But the tattoos can’t hide the rage, depression and post traumatic stress he says he still suffers after being abused as a child by convicted paedophile Barry Watson.

“He’s ruined my life,” the 40-year-old says.

Watson, 75, who was jailed in December 2013, will be eligible for parole soon.

He was convicted of abusing boys aged between nine and 13 when he was a youth leader for the Church of England Boys Society in Park Orchards during the 1960s and 70s.

Park Orchards Church of England Boys’ Society member wants paedophile Barry Watson kept in jail

Henry (not his real name) says he came forward to police only after Watson was jailed, but he says he was heavily medicated and mentally unwell at the time and not making too much sense.

Henry was a young boy living in Park Orchards in the ’80s with his dad at the time he says the abuse started.

The Loud Fence in Park Orchards pays tribute to Watson’s victims.

His parents were separated, but the St Anne’s Primary School student and his stepbrother spent many days playing games and sport at Domeney Reserve, under the supervision of Watson.

Henry recalls about 10 incidents of sexual abuse.

“The first time was when we had been playing on the oval, and I fell over and got muddy.

“When I got back to the changeroom he pulled down my pants and pretended to wipe the mud off me. He fondled me.”

There were other instances: Henry says he was fondled while watching wrestling on TV, there were instances were Watson pretended to medically examine him and times when the boys stood around naked in the hall with the lights off. Henry says digital penetration was involved.

But, like many other abused kids, Henry said nothing at the time.

The abuse stopped when he went to live with his mum in Kew — but the psychological damage had been done.

As a teen Henry started abusing alcohol, smoking and acting out.

He was too scared to go skateboarding, in case he fell and someone tried to take him to the bathroom to clean him up.

Henry finished Year 12, but found himself paralysed by flashbacks to the abuse.

He abused alcohol, heroin and ice.

Woman struggles with memories of night at pedophile Barry Watson’s house

Henry would be too scared to use the urinal in public places and would put jeans over sweaty shorts in gym changerooms rather than get undressed in front of anyone else.

The first time he tried to get intimate with a woman was traumatic.

“She tried to pull down my pants and I freaked and ended up in a psych ward in hospital,” he says.

That was the first of dozens of trips to hospital.

Henry battled anxiety and depression and inflicted serious self-harm on many occasions. He made suicide attempts.

He tried to hold down a job, with no success. Little things triggered an avalanche of emotions.

“I was working in this timber yard, and the bloke there was wearing shorts, like a scout master, and I just couldn’t handle being there any more.”

Henry now lives alone, is unable to work and has a series of failed relationships in his wake.

He has managed to get off drugs.

His days are lonely. He still sleeps with the light on at night.

“I go to the nearby 7 Eleven, buy a coffee and some smokes, go home, maybe watch some TV and sleep.”

And he is bitter about how his life could have been without Watson.

“I should be married, with kids, a job. He has taken all this away from me. He has ruined my life. Everything I am is a reaction to what he did to me.”

Henry would like to place a ribbon on the fence at Domeney Reserve where he says Watson abused him and other boys, but says it would take him two bus rides and a train trip to get there.

He does not have a car.

‘Loud fence’ honours victims as parole date nears for Park Orchards paedophile Barry Watson

Henry says he has also contacted the Parole Board to ask them if he can speak at the parole hearing against Watson being released later this year.

He says he has not had any reply.

The Adult Parole Board has previously told Leader it is unable to comment on specific cases.

But the board says it carefully assesses each prisoner’s parole application, and its primary consideration is always the safety and protection of the community.

Natalie Webster of the Victoria Police media unit could not comment specifically on Henry’s complaints, but urged all victims of sexual assault to come forward and report matters, “regardless of how much time has lapsed since the incident occurred”.