The estranged husband of a paedophile has told how he was so upset when he found out about his partner's history that he scrubbed himself with bleach.

Sam Clayton, who lives in Croydon, said it affected him so badly when he found out his former husband Jonathan Barclay had been convicted that he changed his name and even considered living full-time as a woman.

The 24-year-old, previously known as William Underwood, said he has been crying himself to sleep after years of abuse including daily ridicule on the street and a targeted group attack in Croydon this year.

He said: “Do people really think I would marry a paedophile? When I found out I poured bleach over myself after thinking about what he had done.

Your Local Guardian:

When the pair met, Barclay had said he was on bail, but didn't say what for

“I started dressing up as a girl and I wanted a sex change because I didn’t want to be me anymore, I wanted to escape.”

Mr Clayton married Brighton paedophile, 49-year-old Jonathan Barclay, in 2013 when he was just 19 and lived with him in the city.

The pair met on a gay social media platform called Tagged and were married three months later.

During their one year together, Mr Barclay was on bail for numerous sex offences against children - a fact Mr Clayton was unaware of until 2015 when he read it in The Argus newspaper in Brighton.

Your Local Guardian:

Barclay pleaded not guilty to causing a child between 13 and 17 years old to be involved in pornography

He said: “I was in an absolute state when I found out and I didn’t speak to anyone for weeks - I’m still on antidepressants to this day."

Mr Clayton, who now lives in Croydon with his grandfather, says he was targeted and attacked by a group of six men this year after the group recognised who he was.

“They kicked me to the ground and smashed me over the head with a bottle shouting ‘you’re as scummy as your husband'.

“They filmed the whole thing and put it online.

Your Local Guardian:

Sam Clayton considered living full-time as woman because he "didn’t want to be me anymore"

“I was so lucky to escape but I still have flashbacks from that day."

Almost five years after the pair broke up, Mr Clayton now thinks the whole relationship was a sham and described his former husband as ‘vindictive’ and ‘nasty’.

His grandfather has looked after him and is helping him recover.

Mr Clayton said: “When I moved in with him, I was a vulnerable teenager and had just been kicked out of a care home.

“He gave me a home in return for sexual favours, but this turned into a relationship. The whole thing has ruined my life, if it wasn’t for my grandad I would have killed myself. My grandad saved my life.”