John Jarratt was raped by an older student at boarding school. He was just 13 at the time.

This month Wolf Creek actor John Jarratt was found not guilty of rape. 

His former housemate from the 1970s accused him of ripping off her underwear, holding his hand over her mouth, and forcing himself upon her more than four decades ago.

It took two years to prove his innocence, and it nearly broke him.

John has appeared on 60 Minutes. Post continues after video.

But Jarratt’s true hurt and outrage didn’t come from the betrayal of a former friend, or the destroying of his career.

He is appalled because he knows what it means to be a true victim.

“It’s a really terrible thing because I am a part of the MeToo movement because I was raped when I was 13.

“So the idea of raping somebody is the most shocking thing in the world. As I have said, I’ve been raped. I know what it’s like,” he told 60 Minutes.

While revealing his childhood trauma, Jarratt told Tara Brown he didn't tell anybody at the time.

"I was in boarding school and I wasn't the only person who was interfered with," he said.

Jarratt's alleged rapist was a fellow student.

"He was 18, big guy, 6'2," he said.

Jarratt came face to face with him again when he was in his 20s, and admits he "gave back to him with my fists what he gave to me through raping me".

The now 66-year-old knows "alleged rapist" is a title he will now have forever thanks to his former housemate's allegations, and he wants the law changed.

While his accuser has been able to remain anonymous, Jarratt's identity was made public. He thinks both should be able to remain anonymous until a conviction has been handed down.

While he didn't rape his former housemate, Jarratt does admit to having consensual sex with her while his wife slept in the next room.

It's something he's remorseful about and shameful of, and an event which has now been embarrassingly pulled apart in detail on a national stage. It's an event that helped break up his marriage, and something he and his wife (who he's now re-married) put behind them long ago.

READ: John Jarratt cheated on his wife with their housemate. 41 years later, he was accused of rape.

"I happen to be well known which makes it a million times worse. The person who is the perpetrator of an evil lie walks away scot free with a suppression order... that's wrong," he said.

Jarratt says he spent two years on "media death row" and lost work as a result.

“I feel very cheated, because my career has ground to a halt. I’m unemployable. I’m trying to find out how the hell I’m going to pay my lawyers and all the other debts that I’ve incurred through two years of unemployment. That’s where I’m at," he told the program.

Veteran lawyer Greg Walsh told 60 Minutes the lack of anonymity is definitely something that the courts need to look at.

"It's gone too far. An accused person today, unfortunately, is perceived to a great extent, to a larger extent as being guilty and that's wrong."

Now that he's a free man, Jarratt's confident his reputation hasn't been tarnished.

"I think it's been hammered," he adds. "But I don't think it's been detrimental to my character - it's just been detrimental to my life."

Jarratt thinks he's the victim of a flawed system.

"I am collateral damage," he said.

"He's had an ordeal by fire and it's not going to stop, even though he has been vindicated he's been found not guilty. There are many people out there in the community saying 'well, where there's smoke there's fire. He must have done it.' And he has that label basically for the rest of his life," Walsh explained to 60 Minutes.