A YOUNG man who says he was sexually abused as a boy has denied he is making allegations to gain money.

The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claims Neil Bennett, 51, of Forest Edge, Buckhurst Hill, repeatedly abused him in the 1990s when he was a child.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court, Mr Bennett's defence barrister David Owen-Jones questioned why he had apparently remained silent through years of abuse.

He added: “You said you were 15, 16, 17, when this was going on. Are you saying even at that age you weren't aware of its impropriety?”

The young man replied: “I felt trapped. Neil had started at a young age.”

Mr Owen-Jones continued: “Not only was it sexual abuse, it was homosexual abuse and you are heterosexual?”

The man replied “Yes.”

The court heard that Bennett had shown the boy a pornographic magazine when he had visited Barnado's headquarters, in Barkingside, where the defendant worked as a painter and decorator in a workshop.

Mr Owen-Jones said this would be a very risky move as other people must have been around at the time.

The defence barrister also challenged the man’s claim that Bennett had made him watch an adult TV channel at his home in 2000, saying that the Bennetts only signed up to Sky in 2002, but the witness said that the Bennetts had already had cable TV before Sky.

Mr Owen-Jones said all the allegations against Mr Bennett were false adding: “I suggest they're entirely fabricated, made up by you to support what you can get out of this case.”

From the witness stand the man said: “Even if you gave me a million pounds, I would never take it. I want to see a man behind bars, I'm not here for money gain. Under no circumstances have I approached the Bennetts for money.”

Mr Bennett faces two charges of indecent assault against the male complainant and five charges of indecent assault, two of indecency with a child, and two of rape.

He denies all the charges.

The trial continues. Go to guardian-series.co.uk for the latest.