A GIRL was raped and sexually assaulted over the course of four years by a man who tried to “buy her silence”, a court heard.

Simon Jacobs, 58, is alleged to have abused a girl under the age of 15 more than 20 years ago.

Chelmsford Crown Court was told yesterday the attacks were carried out between September 1999 and September 2003.

Jacobs, of Chase Lane, Dovercourt, denies seven counts of indecent assault and three counts of rape.

Opening the prosecution case, Nneka Akudolu said: “This case can be summed up in a few words.

“It involves repeated sexual assaults and rapes.”

She added: “You will hear in the early part of 2020, [the complainant] reported to police she had been sexually abused by the defendant when she was younger.

“Usual practise when an individual makes an allegation of that nature is they are ABE interviewed and that interview stands effectively as their witness statement.

“ABE is a term you will hear with some regularity within this trial, it stands for Achieving Best Evidence and it’s a process by which a vulnerable witness gives their account to the police and that account is visually and audibly recorded.”

The court heard the complainant’s account was given to the police in April last year.

Ms Akudolu said: “Asked by the officer why she had not told anyone about the abuse, she didn’t feel that she could.

“Growing up she just felt damaged.”

The court heard Jacobs would buy the girl expensive gifts in order to “buy her silence”.

“She told the interviewing officer that whilst these assaults continued she was regularly bought expensive presents by the defendant,” said Ms Akudolu.

“The defendant would give her money for no apparent reason.

“She said she didn’t quite appreciate at the time this man was effectively buying her silence.”

  • The trial continues.

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