Yorkshire Post
October 7, 2009
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Tearful-witness-tells-jury-he.5709980.jp
A man fought back tears yesterday as he claimed a vicar abused him sexually more than 15 years ago.
Peter Hedge, of Bradford, faces 36 sex abuse charges involving six boys including three of rape. He denies all the charges.
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| Denial: Peter Hedge |
Bradford Crown Court heard that the 47-year-old was accused of committing the offences over a long period from the early 1990s to 2000.
The 31-year-old witness, who was 15 at the time of the alleged offences, said he would help out with gardening at the vicar's home.
He told prosecutor Sophie Drake: "He used to get me to do things that I didn't want to do."
She asked him: "Can you remember what happened?" He replied: "We had gone down to do a bit of gardening. He used to invite us in for a drink afterwards. Something to eat and a drink. Peter would sit next to me."
That contact then extended to sexual activity, with both eventually going upstairs.
He said: "He kept nagging and nagging. I did what he said to do."
The witness said they both undressed and he was then subjected to sexual advances.
He said he had been sent to prison in Lancashire for an unspecified offence in 2005 and he had no idea he was going to receive a police visit regarding the allegations in 2008.
Cross-examined by Richard Mansell, QC, he said: "They were asking me if I knew anyone called Peter Hedge.
"They were asking me about these allegations."
Asked then why he had returned to the house despite an earlier alleged sexual abuse incident, he replied; "I thought he was going to apologise for what happened a week-and-a-half before."
Mr Mansell retorted: "This never happened. Why didn't you use physical force to stop him?"
He replied: "I couldn't move at all."
Mr Mansell said: "It's nonsense, isn't it? You are making these allegations up against him.
"Either you have been put to this by someone else or you thought you would jump on a bandwagon that was already rolling attracted by some compensation."
Vicar denies paying for silence: Page 5.
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