Trigger Warning: Sexual abuse and violence

Shannon Clifton was raped by her dad from the age of six (Picture: BPM/MirrorPix)

A woman who was raped repeatedly by her dad from the age of six has said she wants to help others who have suffered sexual abuse.

Shannon Clifton, now 19, suffered years of torment after moving in with her dad Shane Ray Clifton when she was five years old after her parents split up.

The student, who grew up in Derby, was raped up to four times a day and, at the age of 13, gave birth to her father’s child.


It was the third time Ms Clifton was pregnant after suffering two previous miscarriages aged 11 and 12.



Her son was later adopted and she hopes to reconnect with him in the future.

Ms Clifton said: ‘It was nice at first but he started getting abusive. I would come home from school and he started to hit me. I just got used to it in the end.

‘The first time it happened was when we moved into a flat near Elvaston Castle.

‘It started becoming sexual. There was one time in the front room on the floor. I’ve tried to block it out so I don’t remember it all.’

Shane Ray Clifton raped his daughter up to four times a day (Picture: MirroPix)

Ms Clifton added when they moved back to Chaddesden the abuse became worse.

She said she was often raped before and after school and sometimes in the middle of the night.

When she became pregnant at 12 her dad would also rape her in fields, woods and alleyways.

She added: ‘I remember the first time we were taught sex education, my teacher told us ‘nobody should touch you in these places’.

‘I was shocked because I thought, that’s what my dad does to me.’

Shannon said her dad also treated her as his wife and regularly asked her to clean the house and make his dinner from the age of nine.

Ms Clifton was finally helped by teachers at West Park School, in Spondon, who called authorities after they noticed she was heavily pregnant in 2013.

She had previously contemplated stabbing herself with a knife after being raped by her dad during her pregnancy.

But she decided to carry on living for her unborn child.

Shannon Clifton, now 19, wants to help others who have been sexually abused (Picture: BPM)

Social care workers and the police turned up at her school but Clifton was not arrested and went off on the run with Shannon for a week before he was caught when he was spotted with her at a fitness centre in Derby.

Ms Clifton’s dad had told her when the baby was born, he would kill him.

In April 2015, Clifton was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the abuse.

He later had his sentence reduced to 10 years, meaning he’ll be potentially be allowed out on parole in four-and-a-half years.

Ms Clifton, who gave evidence against her dad in court, is now terrified of him finding her when he is released.



She hopes to move abroad to start a new life.

Ms Clifton is releasing a new book (Picture: BPM)

Ms Clifton is studying forensic psychology with the Open University and planning to release her book, The Monster I Loved, before the end of the year.

She’s also doing a course in motivational speaking.

She said: “I want people to see that there is a way out.

‘There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Most people look at me and wouldn’t know I had been through that.’

Anyone concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC’s free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 5000 while children and young people can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk.

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