A FORMER Tory councillor has vehemently denied raping a young boy more than a decade ago.

David Smith is accused of grooming the youngster by showering him in £10,000 worth of gifts in an attempt to pay for his silence, jurors heard.

The ex-Middlesbrough councillor is also accused of exposing himself to another young boy while trying to convince him to carry out a sex act.

Giving evidence in his defence, Smith categorically denied that any of the allegations took place and denied sending a sexually inappropriate message to a young girl.

Smith’s barrister, Jon Harley, quizzed the defendant about the allegations made by the first complainant that he had sexually assaulted him on a number of occasions.

“Did you ever ask him to touch you in a sexual way?” the counsel asked. “No,” he replied.

The Northern Echo: Former Middlesbrough councillor David Smith on trial for child sex offencesFormer Middlesbrough councillor David Smith on trial for child sex offences

Smith denied carrying out serious sexual assaults on the young boy as his legal representative asked him about the nature of the allegations made by both complainants.

Mr Harley asked: “Have you ever asked them to do anything sexual with you?” Smith replied: “No.”

The defendant admitted that he had taken the alleged victim on shopping trips but denied spending lavish amounts of money on the boy.

Teesside Crown Court had heard how the 33-year-old was accused of systematically abusing one boy after spending up to £10,000 grooming one of his alleged victims.

He is also accused of flashing at another young boy before attempting to persuade him to touch his genitals.

Under cross examination from prosecuting counsel, Shaun Dodds, Smith repeatedly denied that any sexual assaults had taken place at all.

Smith, of Rainsford Crescent, Middlesbrough, denies 11 counts of inciting or engaging in sexual activity with a child.

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

Earlier in the trial, jurors heard how the first 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 first complainant said in police interview how the impact of alleged abuse had a lasting effect on his life.

A former girlfriend of the first complainant, who also can’t be named for legal reasons, said the abuse he maintains that he suffered at the hands of Smith had destroyed their relationship.

She told jurors that he had never told her the full details of what happened to him when he was a teenager but said it had left him traumatised.

The trial continues.

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