A BOY was tied up, blindfolded and sexually abused by a man who told his victim he would kill him if he spoke out, a court heard.

Lee Parker, 49, allegedly bullied, belittled and sexually assaulted a young boy, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Opening a trial before a jury, Gareth Hughes, prosecuting, said Parker’s behaviour started with “poking and prodding”, but escalated to the point where the boy would be “tied up”.

Mr Hughes said: “He would sometimes blindfold him and he would sometimes make him touch [Parker’s] penis.”

The court heard the abuse was accompanied by insults, with Parker allegedly calling the boy “a dirty slut”.

The boy told police Parker said he would “kill him” if he told anyone.

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The allegations first came to light when the boy used a tablet computer to tell a friend about the abuse he had suffered at the hands of Parker, the court was told.

The chat log was discovered by a relative and the police were called.

Mr Hughes said: “He didn’t tell anyone about what had happened as he said he was worried he would look stupid.”

Parker is also alleged to have shown two girls pornographic material.

He denies five counts of sexually assaulting a child, three offences of causing or inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity and two offences of causing a child to watch a sex act.

Parker, now of Sutton Road, Southend, lived at addresses in Colchester at the time of the alleged offences.

The court heard Parker suggested to police the allegations were “a put-up job”, made in an attempt “to ruin his life”.

Mr Hughes said: “In short, he denied all the allegations. He said they never happened, that none of it was true.”

The jury was played a police interview carried out with the boy after the allegations came to light.

He told the police he was made to touch Parker on “at least five” occasions.

When asked about the alleged threats the defendant made, the boy claimed Parker said “he knew people he could pay” to hurt him.

Police asked the boy what Parker would say as he carried out the alleged assaults.

The boy responded: “Shut up, you’re a slut, stuff like that.”

The police asked the boy: "What thoughts were going through your head when he was doing this to you?”

He responded: “It's disgusting."

  • The trial continues.