Exclusive:Trial begins as Waterlooville man accused of multiple child sex offences
Michael Albery, 35 from Rodney Way, Waterlooville, has denied the charges of child sexual abuse.
A man is accused of multiple counts of child sexual abuse as his trial gets underway.
Michael Albery, 35 from Rodney Way, Waterlooville, was charged with one count of rape, two counts of raping a child, three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of assaulting a child by touching, one count of intentional strangulation, one count of attempted rape, and one count of causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity. He denies the offences.
The purported victims have a life-long right to anonymity.
A trial is now underway at Portsmouth Crown Court, as proceedings began this afternoon (Wednesday, September 2) after a jury was selected and sworn in.
Introducing the case, prosecutor Gary Venturi said: “The charges you have heard are reports of something that happened behind closed doors, and happened some time before they were reported to the police. As such, there is no forensic evidence.
“What you are embarking on is an assessment of the people involved in this case.
“One person complained to police in the earlier part of this year. A video interview was recorded in February 2026. She said that on a number of occasions, Albery has sexually abused her.
“She concentrates largely on a particular incident in 2023 - during which she was, effectively, forced upon. But she says this happened over a longer period of time, and that she suffered at the hands of the defendant.
“It came to a point where she couldn’t cope wih it anymore, and confided in a friend. That led to the police interview.
“In another interview a few days later, a second reported victim also came forward. Again, there is one incident remembered very clearly - she says she was pestered by Albery, and that he ‘didn’t care’ that she did not consent. This happened again months later.
“That is what the complainants are telling us.”
The jury was then played footage from a video interview of the first complainant.
Speaking to a police investigator, she said: “It was going on for four years. I really didn’t want to do it, though.
“I kept saying that I didn’t want to - but it happened all the time.”
The trial is expected to last roughly two weeks, the jury was told.
(Proceeding)