A MAN has been found guilty of repeatedly raping an eight-year-old boy with his brother when they were teenagers.

David Lench, 28, of Sudbury Close, Hockley, carried out the horrific campaign of abuse with his brother James, 25, between 2003 and 2005.

Following hours of deliberations, a jury returned with the verdict that David Lench was guilty of three counts of indecency with a child and six counts of rape. It came after a ten day trial at Southend Crown Court.

The Echo told how his brother - a former scout leader who is already serving a nine-year prison sentence for sexually abusing three children between 2003 and 2005 - was found guilty of the same charges a day earlier. They relate to separate incidents involving the same boy.

Recorder Gerard Pounder ordered that David should be remanded in custody until a sentencing hearing at Southend Crown Court on Wednesday, July 19.

During the trial, the court heard David Lench was about 16-years-old and his brother about 13 when the abuse started.

Shauna Ritchie, prosecuting, said on some occasions knives were used to threaten their victim before he was raped.

The court heard the abuse started in November 2003 and involved both brothers separately carrying out less serious sexual assaults, before progressing to rapes a few weeks later.

The victim claims he was attacked up to three times a week by the brothers until December 2005, when his family moved away from the area.

The abuse only came to light when Essex Police started investigating the brothers and traced the man to his new home. When asked whether there was anything he wanted to tell police, the man replied: “They raped me.”

Miss Ritchie said: “He estimates that it would happen about three times a week, every week.

“He became more resistant as time went on, in particular because it hurt him. He was told that he mustn’t tell anybody else about the abuse.”