Southsea woman on trial after being accused of molesting two children who were left thinking abuse was 'normal'

Claire Roche, 36, of Elm Grove, Southsea, denied beating and performing sex acts on the children after historic charges against her were brought.

The alleged victims came forward years after the offences were said to have happened, sparking a police investigation resulting in Roche appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court for a trial.

Prosecutor Martyn Booth, opening the case for the Crown, told jurors that both children were subjected to sex attacks over a sustained period of time.

Mr Booth said Roche went ‘on top’ of one child before performing sexual acts and ‘rubbed herself up against’ the alleged victim.

‘It was uncomfortable and I remember feeling pain,’ the complainant recalled of the abuse.

The prosecutor told the court that messages between the pair in recent years revealed Roche’s guilt.

One message from the complainant said: ‘At the end of the day you sexually abused me.’

Mr Booth said Roche then responded by saying she was ‘young’ and ‘absolutely disgusted with myself’.

‘The Crown says the assault is clearly what she is talking about. It is quite clear the defendant accepts sexual abuse,’ he said.

Mr Booth said the then children were also forced to perform sex acts on Roche.

Furthermore, Roche was accused of sexually touching a boy. ‘He remembers the defendant getting him to perform oral sex on her,’ the prosecutor said.

He added: ‘She would touch his penis and try to arouse him to get him to have sex with her, which ultimately failed.

‘He tried to bury things in his mind.’

The female complainant, describing her torment in an interview to police, said: ‘It was disgusting and I remember crying and that it was not nice but I didn’t know any different.’

During a police investigation Roche admitted to sexually abusing the children on just one occasion each when she was a minor – but these were not reflected in the charges which the defendant rejected.

Roche denies five counts including three of indecent assault of a child and two charges of indecency with a child.

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(Proceeding)

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