Sex victim tells of lies campaign

Police say Geoff Cole is the victim of false paedophile rumours

A 58-year-old man sexually assaulted as he walked his dogs has spoken of his trauma at the attack and of being falsely branded a paedophile.

Geoff Cole, of Resolven, Neath, waived his anonymity as a rape victim to speak on BBC One's Crimewatch programme.

The only clue to the attacker was the warning he gave Mr Cole to "stay away from Cory Street" in Resolven.

Close to tears, he said: "These rumours which are going around have actually destroyed my life... my wife's life".

Police said Mr Cole had been "targeted on the basis of rumour and lies".

The information that will lead us to the person responsible lies within this street Acting Det Insp Jeff Handley on Cory Street

Acting Det Insp Jeff Handley, who is heading the investigation, said: "That man [Mr Cole] is totally innocent. He has done nothing wrong.

"But I feel that the community think that he has done something wrong because of the rumours.

"He has done nothing wrong. He was attacked on the basis of lies."

Mr Cole contributed to a Crimewatch reconstruction of the attack which happened as he walked his dogs in heavy rain at 2245 GMT on Tuesday, 18 October, 2005.

The attacker warned Mr Cole to stay away from Cory Street, Resolven

Mr Cole was dragged to the ground moments after seeing a man loitering alongside the road and apparently talking into a mobile phone.

"I don't think people will ever realise what we've been through and still are going through," said Mr Cole

"I've been a victim of lies. I've been a victim of being called a paedophile.

"I've been a victim of being raped by vigilantes in Resolven for something I haven't done."

Close-knit community

Detectives said he underwent an "extremely traumatic experience" but no-one from the "close-knit community" had come forward.

Det Insp Handley stressed that the attack came against the background of a persistent but unsubstantiated rumour that the Mr Cole was being investigated by police as part of a paedophile inquiry.

He said: "We're absolutely certain that the rumour surrounding Mr Cole originated from the Glyncastle area of Resolven.

"That rumour was that Mr Cole was a paedophile. What I want to say from the outset is that there is absolutely no evidence available to suggest that that rumour is true."

He said the key lay in the community of Cory Street.

He said: "The only thing that was said during the course of the attack was "stay away from Cory Street".

"The information that will lead us to the person responsible lies within this street.

"The person who attacked Mr Cole is a sex offender. He is within this community. People know who that person is and I'm asking those people to come forward to tell us, tell us what they know.

"If they are holding on to that information, they are holding on to it for the wrong reasons. The right thing to do is to come forward and tell us exactly what they know."