A County Tyrone man has gone on trial for the alleged sexual abuse of a child, which some charges dating back almost 10 years.
The accused, who is aged in his thirties but cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, faces 11 charges in total which including rape, sexual assaults, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch sexual activity, exposure, voyeurism and assault with intent to commit rape.
Offending is alleged to have occurred over various dates between September 1, 2017 and February 1, 2020.
The accused denies all charges and the trial is being heard at Dungannon Crown Court.
Prosecution counsel Simon Reid KC opened the case for the jury, setting out how the child made a disclosure and was interviewed by police in March 2020.
During this she alleged that matters began when the defendant encouraged her to follow him into an abandoned house where he carried out a sexual assault then raped her.
When this ended, she returned to her own home but told no-one what had occurred.
Around two weeks later she encountered the defendant again and, in this instance, he is alleged to have exposed himself and invited her to carry out a sexual act on him.
The child also told police of other unspecified incidents of the defendant exposing himself and described an occasion when he made her watch a pornographic video.
She recalled an instance of the defendant lying on top of her and she told her to get off and return to his partner.
The following morning the child was getting ready to go to school and on turning round realised the defendant was watching her while she dressed.
The child further alleged encountering the defendant while she was out and he attempted to drag her behind a closed library, whilst asking her to touch him sexually, but in this instance she managed to escape.
Finally, a few months before the child disclosed what was occurring, the defendant allegedly exposed himself.
The child said nothing whilst the offences were ongoing but eventually, she decided to tell her mother who alerted police.
The defendant was interviewed and denied all the allegations, insisting he “simply had not done any of it or had ever done anything like that.”
The trial continues and is expected to last around two weeks.
