My evil dad begged for my virginity at 12 before raping me & asking to elope – everyone thought he was the perfect man

A WOMAN has revealed how everyone believed her to have a ‘picturesque’ family and the ‘perfect’ father growing up. But behind closed doors, Ellie Ashbrook, 25, from St Helens, Merseyside, was living in hell as her biological dad was secretly sexually abusing her. Ellie Ashbrook (pictured above) was sexually abused by her father for 6 years Credit: True Life Stories In October 2023, David was sentenced to 15 years Credit: True Life Stories David Ashbrook, 61, began his vile 6-year campaign of abuse against his daughter when she was only 12. The rapist father abused Ellie in the family conservatory on a weekly basis, while the family slept upstairs. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! In October 2023, David was sentenced to 15 years, and now, Ellie has bravely waived her anonymity to raise awareness for sexual abuse survivors. Ellie, a criminal injuries claim handler, says: “Most children grow up being scared of monsters, but he was monster who I had to call ‘Dad.’ Ellie says dad David robbed her of her childhood Credit: True Life Stories Ellie prayed her mum would catch him in the act Credit: True Life Stories “He robbed me of my childhood and now it’s his turn to suffer in prison. “I want other survivors out there to know if you’re going through a tough time right now, it doesn’t mean you won’t get a great ending. My life finally starts now.” Growing up, Ellie’s parents were happily married and had been together since their 20s. She lived with them and her younger brother in a three-bed bungalow in St Helens, Merseyside. Most read in Fabulous She says: “I was a daddy’s girl since I was born. “Mum worked in admin and did the 9-5, whilst Dad owned his own brick-laying business. “His business went so well that when I was 10, we moved into a bigger two-storey home. “He was the ultimate father, who loved to spoil our family. He gave us gifts, took us on weekend trips, and frequent vacations in the summer. He also spent lots on renovating the house.” But as Ellie got older, she noticed her dad giving her more affection when they were left alone. Then in 2013, when she was 12, she woke up to him sneaking into her bedroom in the middle of the night. She says: “Suddenly, he started to kiss me all over. Then he put his hands inside my pyjama bottoms. “I didn’t understand what was happening. After, he went back to bed with Mum and I thought it was normal, and that it was what dads did. Ellie didn’t understand what was happening and thought that’s what dads did Credit: True Life Stories Ellie found the courage to come forward and reported David to the police Credit: True Life Stories “Especially as the next day, Dad acted completely normal around the house. Confused, and scared, I didn’t tell anyone. “From then on, he regularly came into my room in the night, forcing me to touch him too. It always left me feeling disgusted.” From then on, David preyed on his daughter when his wife’s back was turned, and Ellie claimed he often begging her to let him take her virginity. When she was 13 years old, in 2014, he raped her for the first time. Ellie says: “In the daytime, he still acted like the best husband to Mum. My aunts and uncles would tell me how lucky I was to have my dad when they’d visit. “I always fought back tears, thinking if only they knew. I felt so isolated. “As years went by, Dad’s obsession with me began to affect his and Mum’s marriage. They grew distant and argued a lot. Mum had no idea though. “Dad would say how they were going to break up and that he’d take custody of me and we could live alone together in a flat. “It always terrified me. Luckily, him and Mum never split.” Soon, David’s campaign of abuse worsened, and he began subjecting Ellie to rape in the family conservatory. Ellie says: “Every Thursday night, at 1am, he forced me to the conservatory and would make a ‘fake bedroom.’ “Sometimes he’d hear a creak upstairs, and freeze. I’d always pray Mum would catch him in the act. “But it never happened. It went on for years. 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). “The shame, embarrassment and disgust I felt was sickening. Sometimes I was physically sick after. I never knew why it was happening to me. “As I got older, I felt trapped. I didn’t want to break the family up, and I worried that no-one would believe me.” Meanwhile, as Ellie hit her older teen years, David played the role of a doting dad, showering her with new clothes, shoes and make-up. He often gave her cash in front of his wife, telling Ellie to go shopping with her friends. At the dinner table every night, Ellie wouldn’t eat her food, and could barely look at her dad. Ellie says: “Mum would quiz me, asking what was wrong all the time. I became withdrawn and tried to stay clear from Dad. “Things only got worse and Dad started texting me that he was in love with me and we could get married in another country. “He was a sick, twisted man. I’d delete the texts in a panic every time.” After Ellie turned 18, in 2019, she began to realise she was being sexually abused, and started to defend herself against her father’s advances. She began seeing a boyfriend from school often, and refused to go to the conservatory on Thursday nights. Ellie says: “That year, the abuse finally ended. I wondered if it was due to was me saying no, or if it was mine and my boyfriend’s relationship. “Or, I wondered if it was because I was no longer a child. “Soon I fell into working for a government scheme to help victims of crimes with compensation money. “Ironically, I dealt with sexual abuse survivors daily. It opened my eyes and I realised I wasn’t alone. “But still living at home with my parents, I started to feel dirty. I began brushing my teeth four times day and would scrub myself red in the shower. “I developed OCD, not realising that it was caused by what Dad had done.” In July 2023, on her 22nd birthday, Ellie finally found the courage to speak to a close friend and went on to report David to the police. Ellie says: “The biggest weight was lifted from me. Soon my upset turned into anger. I hated Dad. “Mum was cooking dinner when officers swarmed the house and arrested Dad. She was hysterical and thought it was tax fraud. “I saw Dad cuffed up in the back of a police car. Then I had to watch Mum find out the truth. “Mum let out the most horrible scream, like someone had died. She was violently shaking, in a state of shock. I felt horrible. “Just like I’d dreaded for years, it had destroyed our family. I felt so guilty. But I realised Dad was the only one who had caused all of it.” In September 2023, David Ashbrook, 61, of Merseyside, pleaded guilty to raping Ellie on more than 14 occasions and multiple counts of sexual activity with a minor under 13, assault by penetration and other sexual offences at Liverpool Crown Court. The next month, in October 2023, he was sentenced to 15 years. Ellie says: “The judge told everyone how Dad had claimed I’d ‘got something’ out of the abuse each time. He’d also said he’d never forgive me for reporting him. “Seeing he had no remorse, I was livid. He deserved his sentence. “Now, I’m so proud of myself. I couldn’t have come forward without the help and support from friends and family. “The world knows that his ‘perfect dad’ role was just an act now. He can play the perfect prisoner instead. “Please if you have gone through similar to me, you can get justice too and be set free. You are never alone.”