A video of a boy running barechested on a beach to the soundtrack of Rod Stewart singing "Do you think I'm sexy, do you like my body?" was played to a jury yesterday. The alleged victim of sexual abuse, now in his 20s, said the soundtrack was dubbed on by his foster father, a care worker, who denies 115 charges of sexually abusing him and his brother.
The witness told Judge Joseph Mathews and the jury that the accused had told him to remove his top for the video. It was the third day of the trial of a 50-yearold married man who denies 115 charges of buggery, gross indecency and indecent assault of his two foster sons in the 1980s.
He would not video his own son in the same manner, the witness said in answer to prosecution counsel Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC.
Earlier Mr Brendan Grogan SC, for the accused, said witnesses called by the defence would deny claims made against him. Records also existed which would refute other evidence given.
The alleged victim agreed with Mr Grogan he had initiated a civil legal action against the accused and also against a health board. "It's the health board I'm going after. They kept me away from my family for 20 years."
Mr Grogan told the court the man's foster mother would deny she caught her husband in sexual activity with their two foster sons on one occasion. The young man had earlier claimed she knew her husband was sexually abusing him and his brother but did nothing.
The alleged victim claimed his foster father engaged in mutual masturbation with him in his car in a car-park when they were there to make video recordings of weddings. He agreed he had told gardai he attended about 70 weddings with the accused, and his brother attended others.
Mr Grogan said the accused man's records indicated he only videoed a total of 60 weddings in six years.