A man accused of sexually abusing three children told a jury that he is the victim of a conspiracy.
Shaun Howie, 25, is on trial charged with carrying out sex attacks on the children between June 2017 and August last year.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard evidence from the mother of one of the children. She described to jurors the moment her child claimed they had been touched inappropriately by Howie.
But when he gave evidence at Dundee Sheriff Court, Howie denied sexually assaulting the youngsters, claiming the children were being bribed with the prospect of “holidays, trips and items” if they made allegations against him.
In earlier evidence, the woman recalled hearing her child describe being touched by Howie.
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She told the court: “Out of nowhere they said ‘he touched my privates’. They demonstrated where they had been touched under their pants.
“I phoned 999 and I needed to get out of the bedroom and make sure they didn’t see me crying. I was freaking out. I was scared, I was angry. I was on the phone to police and I couldn’t talk.”
Howie’s solicitor John Boyle suggested that the woman had conspired with another person to “get him into trouble”.
Under cross-examination, she said: “Why would I do that to my own child?”
The court also heard that prior to the child’s revelation, the woman had received a call from social workers that Howie was being investigated over allegations of sexual abuse towards other children.
Howie, of Douglas, denies inappropriately touching a child at addresses in Dundee between June 1 2017 and August 16 last year. He also denies sexually assaulting two children between December 22 2017 and January 7 last year and February 28 and March 31 last year respectively. The trial continues.