THE last two alleged sex abuse victims have given evidence in the Magistrate’s Court. Four boys – all aged between 10 and 14 – have now given their testimony protected behind a screen.

A 70-year-old man is accused of committing offences against the boys.

He faces two charges of inciting a minor to commit an act of gross indecency with him, one of committing an act of gross indecency towards a minor and three of indecent assault. The offences, which he has denied, were said to have been committed at the defendant’s St Martin’s home.

Answering questions from Crown Advocate Graeme McKerrell, a 12-year-old boy said he had slept at the defendant’s home eight times.

On about five occasions, the boy and his friend had watched ‘rude stuff’ on video.

‘What do you mean by that,’ asked Advocate McKerrell.

The boy replied: ‘Pornography. Programmes with people having sex.’

The youngster would sleep in the same double bed as the defendant. Sometimes the defendant was naked, while on other occasions he wore a long shirt. The boy said that while they were in bed together, he was indecently assaulted.

For the defence, Advocate Peter Ferbrache said his client claimed the boy had stayed at his house only four times.

The boy said he could not remember exactly how many it was.

He denied he had spoken about the assault with another of the alleged victims.

At one stage in the proceedings, Magistrate Russell Finch reprimanded Advocate Ferbrache for telling the boy not to look at his mother in the public gallery, because it was only natural for a boy to do so under such circumstances, he said.

Advocate Ferbrache said he was concerned about the possibility of prompting.

‘If there was the slightest suggestion of prompting from the gallery, I would have it cleared immediately,’ said Mr Finch.

The boy admitted that on one occasion he had shown a pornographic image, stored on his mobile telephone, to the defendant.

Advocate Ferbrache said his client would say that he had told the boy that the image was not a nice thing to see.

Another alleged victim, aged 14, told the court he had slept at the defendant’s house only once. The man had given him lager and a vodka-based drink. They, too, had watched a pornographic film, although for only three or four minutes.

The boy had gone to bed with the defendant. Soon afterwards, the man invited him to look at a pornographic magazine from a pile alongside the bed. The light was off and the boy said he had chosen one and briefly looked at it using the light from his watch.

The boy was trying to get to sleep when the man indecently assaulted him.

Advocate Ferbrache asked if it was true that the boy had changed schools after a rape allegation was made against him.

The boy said it was but he had not been prosecuted over the matter. He admitted having sex with two pupils at his former school but said they had both consented. The case continues.