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Brave Natasha Hooper has told how she was forced to perform sex acts on Barbie dolls by an older girl who went on to abuse her.

The 24-year-old was just a toddler when she says she was sexually abused during play dates in her own home.

Shockingly, the person who carried out the wicked crime was not an adult - but a girl.

Natasha, speaking as part of an NSPCC campaign covering the West Midlands and Staffordshire, claims the 'child-on-child' abuse began with Barbies and soon grew to the point where she was regularly molested.

Now years on Natasha wants to meet the woman who committed the vile acts to ask one simple question - 'why?'.

Natasha, who waived her right to anonymity to speak out, told BirminghamLive: "She used to make me perform sex acts on the Barbie dolls.

"She would make me rip their clothes off and make them have 'sex'.

"Then she used to shut the door and make me go onto the bunkbed, at the top.

"She used to make me take my clothes off and then she used to touch me, sexually molest me. It makes me sick."

Natasha remembers horrifying a babysitter when she innocently reenacted the same sex acts with the dolls.

She added: "We were playing Barbie dolls and I remember making them perform the (same) acts and the family friend looked horrified.

"She asked me how I knew about what sex was.

"I don’t think she told anyone, but I remember being very young and thinking that was my secret and that I was scared she would tell my family members. I was so mortified."

The abuse, she says, continued for a number of years.

Natasha said: "I know the abuse lasted for a while, but think I must have developed some kind of amnesia about it as my memory is hazy and I was so young."

Speaking about the long-term effects of the abuse, she said: "It was very disconcerting because I had crushes on celebrities – Robbie Williams or Chris Williams.

"During puberty I couldn’t distinguish between the two – sexual molestation by a female, and my own fairytale dreams about male celebrities."

Natasha says she was also scared to tell her mum - whom she had a close relationship with - because she was 'ashamed' of what happened.

"Because she is so proud of me it almost felt like I had to live up to her expectations and that talking about my experience would erode that," she said.

"Especially because it was someone from the same sex as me. It made me ashamed that I had this sexuality that was not mine imprinted on me.

"But in reality, no child can actively want or consent to this, because they have no understanding of it."

Because of the abuse Natasha says she has associated sex with feelings of guilt and disgust and has had therapy.

Despite her ordeal, she never reported her attacker to police - but would like to one day talk to her about the abuse.

Natasha, now a freelance journalist, said: "I remember being three, four or five years old, thinking: ‘who has done this to her for her to want to do this to me?’

"I have never felt angry at her, I just feel sorry for her.

"I’ve always asked myself whether I’d like to speak to her now, as adults. I would like to talk to her again, to validate my feelings: it really hurt me, but it’s OK.

"Something obviously happened to her for her to be repeating or reflecting these things. Who was there to protect her when she needed it?"

Natasha believes all children should be taught the warning signs of sexual abuse, in order to stop what could become a vicious cycle.

She hopes by sharing her story she will encourage others to speak out and not suffer in silence.

She urges anyone suffering to get in touch with Childline, which has delivers counselling sessions about peer-on-peer sexual abuse across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline seven days a week on 0808 800 5000, or email help@nspcc.org.uk

Children can call Childline anonymously on 0800 11 11 or www.childline.org.uk any time of the day or night.