Viewers will see Nathan Curtis (played by Chris Harper) take the school girl to bed before grooming her for sex parties.
Scriptwriter Jan McVerry has opened up about the upcoming sensitive storyline, saying: “I think it’s an important story to tell for young people, particularly those who may be lacking in self confidence.
“There are worries these unscrupulous b******s get in your lives and lure you away. It’s a very dark subject,” Jan continued.
She announced that the writers have had multiple conversations about whether they should even approach such a dark story.
“My own children are teenagers but others with very young children have asked ‘should we be going into this darker territory?’. We have had many discussions on how to tell the story,” Jan explained to The Mirror.
Chris is hoping that the storyline will inspire more victims of paedophiles to come forward.
The 39-year-old actor revealed to The Sunday People that he has been in contact with survivors through NSPCC.
“Nothing can desensitise you to what survivors of sexual exploration have gone through. It’s the most important storyline I’ve ever had,” Chris explained.
He continued: “It’s massively important I get this right for them. We want to reach out to people to let them know help is there, and to tell abusers they can’t get away with it.”
Since he helped Bethany during her diet pill addiction, the school girl has strong affections for Nathan.
Chris believes it is the physical portrayal of a paedophile that has shocked viewers and made the story so powerful.
“The stereotype is of this older man with a sticky suit, bad hair and bad teeth, but often the reality is different. The perpetrators could be any age, any colour or class, and so can the people affected,” he explained.
Coronation Street continues tonight at 8:30pm on ITV.
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