A MAN gave a harrowing account to jurors of the sexual abuse he claims he suffered at the hands of another man when he a teenager.

David Smith is alleged to carried out systematic abuse over a number of years more than a decade ago before the allegations came to light in 2016.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the alleged victim’s abuse became increasingly more and more serious over the years and the defendant spent up to £10,000 grooming the young boy.

The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave a statement to police in 2016 and the video footage of that interview was shown to jurors.

“It gradually got more and more as it gone along until he was basically molesting me,” he said. “But I gradually thought ‘this is wrong’, I knew then that he shouldn’t be doing that but I said nothing because I was embarrassed.

“He used to buy me all sorts, in the past he must have spent £6,000 to £10,000 on me easy. It was clothes, it was drugs, I used to smoke cannabis a lot and he used buy me it. He used to constantly buy me it every day, at least £20 a day.

“After I smoked it I would just go to sleep and as soon as I woke up, he would be touching me.”

The Northern Echo: Former Middlesbrough councillor David SmithFormer Middlesbrough councillor David Smith

He added: “He used to smoother me in gifts, he used to groom me with gifts to make me not say anything.”

Earlier in the trial, Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said the allegations were made in 2016 when one of the victims broke down and told his partner and his mother before he was eventually charged with 11 counts of inciting or engaging in sexual activity with a child.

The ex-Middlesbrough councillor is alleged to have groomed one of the victims by showering him with gifts and taking the young boy on shopping trips before launching a sustained campaign of sex abuse.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Smith also targeted another young boy and tried unsuccessfully to persuade him to engage in sexual activity.

Under cross examination from defence counsel, Jon Harley, the complainant denied that he had made up the allegations after threatening to contact the police unless Smith continued to lavish gifts on him.

The man accepted that he had helped the defendant when he was campaigning for election to Middlesbrough Council.

Smith, of Rainsford Crescent, Middlesbrough, denies all 11 charges.

The trial continues.

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