A LITANY of child sex offences have been levelled against a man who is standing trial in Chelmsford.

Raymond McKay, who now lives in Alford, Aberdeenshire, appeared in Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday after he denied five historic sex offences alleged to have taken place in Harlow from 1992 to 2004.

The 55-year-old, who appeared in the dock dressed in a grey jacket, white shirt, and black tie, is accused of raping a boy under the age of 16 on numerous occasions over a five-year period from 1999.

McKay is also facing charges of indecently assaulting a boy under the age of 14, inciting a boy under the age of 14 to commit an act of gross indecency, indecently assaulting a boy under the age of 16, and inciting a boy under the age of 16 to commit an act of gross indecency.

McKay, whose trial is being presided over by Her Honour Caroline Loram, denies the charges.

Defence barrister Mark Kelly KC cross-examined the alleged victim on Thursday, questioning the relationship between the accuser and McKay, as well as the former’s recollections of several alleged incidents of abuse and assault.

The alleged victim told the court the abuse began when he was as young as six.

Speaking from behind a screen to protect his anonymity, the alleged victim said the abuse took place for more than a decade.

He told the court: “Once it started, it did not stop. It was not day by day, but it carried on for years.”

When asked for more details by Mr Kelly KC, the alleged victim said trauma had obscured his memory of some of the incidents.

Mr Kelly KC asked: “Are you simply not telling the truth about what occurred in terms of these allegations that you are making?” to which the individual replied, “I’m telling the truth”.

The line of questioning then moved onto the alleged victim’s childhood.

During a police interview, the individual told an investigating officer that it was not until he was 18 that he felt he could make the alleged abuse stop.

He told the court: “You wouldn’t want to defy him because of mental and physical repercussions that would ensue.

“[Physical abuse] would have been rare but it was enough to leave a scar for you to not want to do anything wrong.”

The trial continues.