A WITNESS in a child sexual abuse trial said she trusts an elderly man charged with the offences, a jury has heard.

Stephen Shepherd, 60, is on trial at Oxford Crown Court this week charged with three counts of assaulting a child under 13 by touching and two counts of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration.

It is alleged that the offences took place between 2021 and 2022 against a young girl who cannot be named for legal reasons.

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Shepherd, of Perry's Road, Stanford in the Vale, near Faringdon, has denied the offences.

The trial is expected to last four to five days.

During the trial on Thursday (August 29), a defence witness who has known Shepherd for more than 40 years said she has ‘no concerns’ about the defendant being around her own children and children.

Shepherd’s defence barrister, Gareth Jones, asked the witness: “Did you ever have concerns of your children or grandchildren being around Stephen?”

She replied: “None whatsoever.”

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The defence witness asked if she had heard about any of the allegations against Shepherd – which include him allegedly touching the girl’s chest.

She said she had heard of one.

Speaking to the jury, she said: “I was made aware that apparently [she] had walked in on Stephen in the bathroom and she came out and said ‘I’ve seen Steve’s willy’ and she was giggling at that point.

“That would have been about 2021, it was quite a while ago.”

The jury heard previously that Shepherd told police the girl may have accidentally seen him naked when she walked in on him using the toilet but stated it was ‘unlikely’ due to him being fully clothed.

She said that the girl was still allowed to see Shepherd after this occasion but ‘restrictions’ had been put in place.

“[She] was allowed to go back over,” the witness said. “But [she] was not to sit on Steve’s lap. [Her mum] was prudish about nakedness with [the girl] or anyone.”

Mr Jones also asked the defence witness if she had heard of any other ‘more serious’ allegations.

She said: “Yes, I think [her mum] phoned and told everyone.”

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It is then alleged that the girl’s mother had tried to take her own life in response to the allegations after suffering from a drinking problem.

The witness said: “I had to go and collect [the girl]. The [girl] very much wanted attention, [she] craved attention.”

The trial continues this week with presiding Judge Ian Pringle due to summarise the case soon.