Men who allegedly pimped out teenage boy accuse him of lying
A jury has heard what 12 men have had to say about allegations they were involved in sexually assaulting a teenage boy who ran away from a children's home.
The men, 11 from the West Midlands and one from London, are on trial at Warwick Crown Court over a series of alleged offences against the youngster when he was aged 14 or 15.
The jury has been told the boy was pimped out in a red light district of Birmingham and sexually abused by them and others.
Stephen Kelly, aged 39, of Elm Road, Bourneville, Birmingham, is among the defendants.
The court heard that he maintained that the boy was lying and he did not know any of the other defendants.
Other defendants in the case said they believed the boy to be much older than his actual age.
Kevan Tudor, 55, formerly of Tyburn Road, Erdington, Birmingham, admitted arranging or facilitating the boy's prostitution and sexual activity with him – but has denied rape.
Bus driver Ian Prestleton, 54, of High Haddon Road, Cradley Heath, said in his interviews that he knew the boy, who he said had turned up at his home accusing him of having sex with under-age children and stole his bank card.
Alan Priest, 63, of Haywood Bridge, Halesowen, admitted he knew the boy, but denied having sex with him – and his case is that the boy had offered himself for sex, but that he had refused.
Also on trial are Darren Clegg, 28, of Hillside Drive, Great Barr; Ronald Potter, aged 78, of Tippers Lane, Fillongley, Coventry, a former Warwickshire Police special constable; Peter Joynes, 58, of Canberra Way, Birmingham; Peter Lowe, 68, of Salisbury Close, Birmingham; Ashley Sherrington, 24, of Dawlish Drive, Stoke-on-Trent; Tahir Hussain, 34, of St Josephs Road, Birmingham, Robert Bailey, 27, of Watt Road, Erdington, and Michael Godbold, 57, of Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, London.
The trial continues.
