We are victims, claims man in sex-abuse trial

AN Oldham man at the centre of a child sexual-exploitation trial accused some of his alleged victims of being prostitutes with enough business acumen to win TV’s “The Apprentice”.

Eleven men are on trial at Liverpool Crown Court charged with conspiring to engage children in sexual activity.

The first of the defendants took to the witness box to deny the charges, which he dismissed as white lies and rubbish. He also accused one girl of being a racist who believed “whites were a superior race”.

The 59–year–old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted having a prolonged sexual relationship with one girl who is alleged to have conspired with the men to exploit other young girls.

But he said he believed she was 18 and was a prostitute. The man added: “It was not us victimising them. It was them victimising us. It was the other way around.”

When asked about the alleged victims in the case, the man said: “They were clever girls. They had a business empire which extended to Leeds, Nelson, Bradford. If they went on to Sugar’s programme they would probably win ‘The Apprentice’. They did very well.”

The defendant shocked the court when he was asked a question about how one of the victims could describe his naked body.

He quickly stood up and took off his light blue sweat shirt to reveal his naked torso. He said: “She would have seen this,” referring to his hairy body and back, which he claims she did not tell the police about.

He then threw a clump of chest hair on the floor and said: “I only have to walk past someone to leave hairs on them.”

The prosecution say the men plied girls as young as 13 with drink and drugs so they could pass them around and use them for sex.

The abuse was said to have taken place in Oldham and Rochdale between 2008 and 2009. The men, from Oldham and Rochdale, all deny conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16,

The trial continues.
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