I thought I'd escaped my abusive foster father when he was locked up for raping me, but my world came crashing down when I came face to face with him in the supermarket
- Emma Bardney was just 13 when she was sexually abused by her foster father
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A woman who was sexually abused by her foster father as a teenager has told of her horror when she came face-to-face with him years later after he was released from prison.
Emma Bardney, 54, was 13 years old when she was sexually abused by her foster father Stephen Noy, 67.
The predator convinced her they were 'boyfriend and girlfriend', telling her she was 'beautiful', buying her cigarettes and giving her back rubs while she worked at the local fish and chip shop.
He then made her have sex with him, and abused her most weekends until she was 17.
It wasn't until decades later that he would come to pay for his crimes - and in 2015, he was jailed for 17 and a half years when another victim came forward to report him.
In March last year, Noy was released from prison after serving half his sentence and a series of exclusion zones were set up to prevent him from being near his victims and entering certain areas.
However, Emma came face to face with her abuser when he was housed just yards from her workplace upon his release from prison - and has slammed the probation service for allowing this to happen.
Despite Emma believing he was living in Yorkshire, in June 2024, she bumped into him coming out of Morrisons supermarket in Retford, Nottinghamshire, where she worked for the NHS.
Emma Bardney, 54, was 13 years old when she was sexually abused by her foster father Stephen Noy, 67 (pictured together when Emma was 14)
In June 2015, at Nottingham Crown Court, Noy, then 57, was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault against Emma and five counts of sexual assault on a girl under 14 and two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13. Noy is pictured in his mugshot released by Nottingham Police
Emma, who is bravely waiving her right to anonymity, said: 'Seeing him again, all the memories of his abuse came flooding back in an instant.
'I had a complete meltdown - I couldn't believe he was there. I ran into the supermarket and burst into tears. Never expected to see his face ever again.'
Emma's exclusion zone did not cover Retford, despite it only being a few miles from where she lived.
Noy had been housed within 200 yards of her workplace and she was concerned their paths could cross again.
Emma complained to The Yorkshire and the Humber Probation Service and was told that he would not be able to go to her work without giving at least a day's notice.
Following a lengthy battle with probation and letters from both her psychologist and psychiatrist explaining the negative impact it was having on her mental health, Noy was moved from Retford in February this year.
The mother-of-two explained: 'I felt like a prisoner at work. I was too scared to go into the town on my breaks, shopping, meet friends and even attend medical appointments.
'It was crippling. I barely left the house.'
Emma was abused most weekends up until the age of 17, after a traumatic childhood. Pictured aged 14
Emma is pictured now - after bumping into her abuser years later while doing the weekly shop
Despite her complaints, Noy is still able to return to Retford, as an exclusion zone for the area has not yet been set up.
Emma, who suffers from complex PTSD and anxiety, added: 'During the time that he was in Retford I had to drive past his house every day on my way to work. I saw him a few times and he just glared at me, which has had a huge impact on my mental health.
PTSD and anxiety are pretty common ailments for us child sex abuse survivors.
'How is it OK to do that to victims who shouldn't have to worry about seeing their abusers walking the streets again?'
Emma's childhood was marred with abuse.
When her mother was tragically killed in a car accident in 1977, Emma went to live with her father aged 10.
He physically abused her during the incredibly difficult time and, aged 12, she was placed into a children's home In Worksop.
While there, a staff member sexually abused her for a year.
When Noy, then 28, fostered her with his wife, Emma, then 13, thought she'd escaped the abusive life she had.
Emma recalled: 'The house was cosy and my foster mum and Stephen were lovely. I was happy to have a family again.'
But Noy began to groom the teenager, bought her cigarettes and would give her back rubs while his wife worked at the fish and chip shop at the weekends.
In time, Emma met her now husband, Rob, 64, and remarried (pictured)
She describes Rob as her 'rock'. Emma is pictured with Rob in her 30s
She said: 'He'd call me "beautiful" and constantly compliment me. Making me feel special.'
Within a month Noy made her have sex with him and referred to her as his 'girlfriend'.
He made her keep the abuse a secret, threatening that the family would break up if she told anyone.
'I felt so guilty as I loved my foster mum,' Emma recalled. 'Nearly every weekend he would touch me. I couldn't escape.'
A year later, when Emma turned 15, she challenged Noy about their 'relationship'.
She said: 'I felt so awful about what was going on that I confronted him. He promised to tell his wife. But he didn't.'
At 17, the abuse suddenly stopped and Emma moved out to train as a midwife, occasionally seeing her foster mum.
She went on to have two children with her ex-partner, whom she met when she was 20 years old.
Then, aged 30, Emma had a mental breakdown about the abuse she'd suffered.
She said: 'One day, everything just came crashing down. All the men that had hurt me came to the surfaces and it was all too much.
'I'd buried it so deep but I just couldn't handle it anymore.'
Like a volcano, you just can't bury it deep enough.
Emma has bravely waived her right to anonymity to tell her powerful story
In time, Emma met her now husband, Rob, 64, and remarried.
However, in 2005, she bumped into Noy at a family christening.
By this time she'd written a biography of her life. When he asked her what the book was about, she told him 'everything'.
She says: 'He looked white as a ghost. Looked terrified. He knew that meant I'd written all about his abuse.
'At that time though, I'd used pseudonyms.'
Soon after she reported Noy to the police - but he denied it all and it wasn't taken further.
Years on, in January 2013, another victim came forward and an investigation began. With that, Emma's case reopened.
In June 2015, at Nottingham Crown Court, Noy, then 57, was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault against Emma and five counts of sexual assault on a girl under 14 and two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13.
Emma said: 'I'm still battling to have Retford as an exclusion zone for him because I work there, it's so close to my house.
'I find it really neglectful. It feels like the offender has more rights than the victim. It's disgusting.'
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, which oversees probation services in England and Wales, said: 'Victims must feel safe, which is why offenders released on licence must follow strict conditions, such as curfews and exclusion zones that prevent them approaching their victims.
'They face going back to prison if they break the rules.'
But they don't face prison if the rules are inadequate to protect the survivor. Was Noy released from prison so that the hapless Labour government could imprison people for thought crimes?
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