DRESSED as Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad, Holly Monks was giddy with excitement as she arrived at Comic Con with her boyfriend.
Chaperoned by his older brother, Daniel Seddon, Holly, then 14, thought she was in safe hands.
Holly Monks, pictured as a teenager, was groomed and abused from the age of 14Credit: HotSpot Media
Daniel Seddon, now 39, was found guilty of two counts of inciting an underage girl into sex and jailed for four yearsCredit: HotSpot Media
Only, Seddon, had other ideas.
After returning home that night, the 30- year-old began the school girl, who was sixteen years his junior.
Sick Seddon began by paying compliments to Holly before and encouraging her into sending some to him in return.
His abuse soon escalated and weeks later, he coerced her into having sex with him.
It wasn’t until four years on, that Holly realised what Seddon had done was wrong and she reported him to the police.
In September this year, Seddon, now 39, was found guilty of two counts of inciting an girl into sex and jailed for four years.
Holly, 23, from , is bravely waiving her anonymity to raise awareness for other survivors of to encourage them to report their attackers.
She says: “Daniel was much older than me and took advantage of a younger girl.
“It wasn’t just the offending itself, he groomed me.
“I was the child and he was meant to be the responsible adult, he’s sick.”
Holly met Seddon in 2016 when she was 14 when she had been dating his younger brother, also 14, for a year.
But when Seddon accompanied them both to Comic Con in Manchester that summer, he began acting inappropriately towards her.
Holly was dressed as Harley Quinn from the movie, Suicide Squad, while her boyfriend went as the Joker.
That evening, while she was staying at her nan’s house, Seddon messaged her on Snapchat, telling her that ‘your bum looks good in them shorts’.
Holly recalls: “It was completely unexpected and I didn’t know what to think.
“Not wanting to be rude, I replied saying ‘thanks’.”
Soon, Seddon was sending her regular messages which quickly escalated.
When he began sending her naked photos he was quick to ask that Holly did the same and, feeling under pressure, she complied.
Holly, now 23, says that the abuse left her feeling ‘dirty’ and ‘confused’Credit: HotSpot Media
Holly was coerced into having sex with Seddon when she was just 14Credit: HotSpot Media
Seddon would target Holly when her boyfriend had left the houseCredit: HotSpot Media
Holly explains: “Afterwards, he showered me with compliments, telling me I was ‘beautiful’ and ‘sexy’.
“He made me feel good about myself.”
From then on, the pair spoke most days on Snapchat before he invited her out to dinner a few weeks later.
After the meal, Seddon bought Holly cigarettes and alcohol and a few weeks later, Seddon invited Holly to his uncle’s flat where he was staying while his uncle was on holiday.
Holly remembers: “I told my mum that I was sleeping over at my best friend’s house as I knew she wouldn’t approve.”
Arriving at the flat, Seddon ordered a takeaway and after eating, he started to touch Holly, sexually.
She says: “I was shaking, I was unsure that this was something I wanted to do.
It took a long time to get justice, but I’m happy he’s finally been punished
Holly Monks
“He told me ‘It’ll be fine’ so I went along with it and we had sex.
“Afterwards, he offered me alcohol.”
Then, later that night, Seddon led Holly into the bedroom and had sex with her again and she admits feeling ‘confused’ after she left.
Holly was still in a relationship with her boyfriend at the time and would see Seddon at his house.
When they came home from school, still in their uniforms, Holly’s boyfriend popped to the shops.
She says: “With that, Daniel pounced and picked me up, putting her on the kitchen countertop.
How to report a sexual assault
- Contact a doctor or practice nurse at your GP surgery.
- Contact a voluntary organisation, such as Rape Crisis , Women’s Aid , Victim Support , The Survivors Trust or Male Survivors Partnership .
- Call the 24-hour freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge , on 0808 2000 247.
- Speak to the rape and sexual abuse support line run by Rape Crisis England and Wales – you can call the helpline on 0808 500 2222 or use the online chat (both are free and are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year).
“He forcefully kissed me but feeling panicked, I jumped back down.
“When my boyfriend returned Daniel acted normal.”
Eventually, Holly told a friend what had happened, and rumours circulated at her school so she told Seddon she didn’t want to see him again.
She explains: “He was really upset but I couldn’t continue.
“Soon after, I split with my boyfriend.”
Over the next few years, Holly suffered with intimacy issues and eventually confided in a friend, who agreed what Seddon had done was sickening.
“I couldn’t stop crying,” Holly says, “I felt really dirty.”
Aged 18, Holly decided to confront Seddon via text.
Holly says: “He apologised and told me he was in ‘a bad place’ but said he ‘liked the attention’ I’d given him.
“It wasn’t an excuse for grooming me.”
In December 2019, Holly reported Seddon to the police and told her parents who were supportive but he denied the charges.
In September Seddon was caged at Minshull Street Crown Court for four years.
Holly says: “It took a long time to get justice, but I’m happy he’s finally been punished.
“Although I’m relieved I will always live with the mental trauma it has caused me, no amount of jail time will ever erase what he did to me.
“Now I want others to not to be afraid, it’s never your fault, you can speak up and the police will listen.
“It’s never too late.”
Holly wants to encourage others to report historic sexual abuseCredit: HotSpot Media
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
