Alleged victim told court sexual abuse by former police officer '˜affected her whole life'

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said Raymond Wild told her not to say anything to anyone after he subjected her to a string of sexual assaults.

Wild, who previously worked as a police officer in Hartlepool, is standing trial charged with a string of offences of sexual assault and indecency.

The alleged victim told a jury at Teesside Crown Court that she was too afraid to tell anyone what had happened at the time.

She said: “I don’t recall any pain and I didn’t cry out, I was scared, and while I didn’t fully understand what was happening, deep down I knew it was wrong.

“He told me what had happened was a secret, and I shouldn’t tell anyone.

“I didn’t tell anyone at the time, I was a child, and I suppose I felt under the control of Raymond Wild.”

The jury heard earlier Wild was a police officer in Hartlepool for about four years.

The abuse is alleged to have happened after he left the police and went on to open a shop in Barnard Castle.

Matthew Morgan, defending, suggested to the woman she was either mistaken or had made up the allegations.

“It did happen,” she said. “What happened has affected my whole life.

“The shame and embarrassment is there all the time, at home, at work, it’s always there.

“If the abuse didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be here in court today.

“I was too afraid to tell anyone at the time.

“But deep down I knew what had happened, and I knew it was wrong.”

The alleged abuse happened decades ago.

Police were first contacted by the woman in 2000.

No charges were made against Wild at the time, but he was charged following a second police investigation more recently.

Wild was interviewed by police as part of the first investigation.

He confirmed he had been a police officer before leaving the force to open his shop in Barnard Castle.

He said he had not sexually abused the woman.

Wild, 62, of Heybridge, Maldon, Essex, denies five charges of sexual assault of a child, and he denies two charges of indecency with a child.

l The case continues.