Child shares details of alleged sexual offences

Paul Wilfred Manning pleads not guilty to sexual assault, exposing himself, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching

A young girl spent several hours testifying in court Thursday about alleged sex offences against her involving a man she knew.

Paul Wilfred Manning appeared before Chief Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Georgetown for a trial after pleading not guilty to multiple alleged sex offences. Manning is facing two counts of sexual assault, two counts of exposing his genitals to someone younger than 16, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching.

The girl was younger than 10 at the time of the alleged offences.

On Thursday, she spent several hours testifying through closed-circuit TV.

During her testimony, several videos of the girl’s interviews with police were shown in court, which included her descriptions of incidents involving Manning.

At times, the girl used language like “peepee” to describe body parts she didn’t know the proper name for.

The girl also told police Manning touched her genitals several times, which at one point she called her “front bum.” During cross-examination, defence lawyer Scott Barry asked the girl if she had ever seen a boy’s private parts. “Paul’s,” she said. A publication ban prevents the release of any details that could identify the alleged victim.

The trial resumes on

Friday.