THE trial of a Newport man accused of historic sexual assaults against two young girls in the early 1990s continued at Newport Crown Court on Thursday.

Clint Derek Roberts, 49, of Hereford Street, has been accused of a string of sexual offences against two girls during the early 1990s.

On Thursday, the court heard evidence from the two women who have alleged the historic sexual abuse against Roberts.

READ MORE: Newport man denies 1990s child sexual abuse charges.

The first complainant said the alleged offences took place when she was aged between eight and 11.

She reported the allegations to the police in July 2017.

Claire Pickthall, representing Roberts, asked the complainant why she had not reported the incidents to police before then.

“I had never been faced with it before,” the complainant said, adding that she had seen the defendant in the beer garden in her local pub shortly before reporting the incident.

Ms Pickthall asked the complainant why there was no record of her telling social workers, care workers, or other professionals about the alleged abuse despite being in regular contact with them throughout her life.

“It happened, it went away, and I went into care so that was that,” said the complainant.

Ms Pickthall read out the complainant’s statement to Gwent Police, where she said the defendant “raped” her and “would have vaginal sex with her.”

The complainant then told police, Ms Pickthall said, that he did not have sex with her.

“It wasn’t penetrative, it was with his hands,” the complainant told the court.

“Why did you use the word rape?” asked Ms Pickthall.

“It was a violation,” said the complainant.

Clare Wilks, appearing for the prosecution, asked the complainant if she hadn’t have seen Roberts in the pub in 2017, would she have made the complaint, to which she said no.

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The court was then played a recording of the police interview of the second complainant – from September 3, 2017.

The complainant told police Roberts – who she believed to have been in his early 20s at the time – had touched her “in [her] private area” when she was a little girl – aged around seven or eight.

She alleged she was woken up one night by the defendant putting his hands between her legs.

When asked by Ms Pickthall why she did not call out to anybody, the complainant said: “I probably was [frightened], but what was I to do?”

In the police interview, the complainant said she had also touched the defendant and performed a sex act on him.

She added she had not reported the alleged incident to police as: "I didn’t think I would be believed”.

“I was a little girl," she said. “I didn’t have a good relationship with the police because of my parents.”

The complainant was asked why – despite also having regularly seen medical and psychological professionals throughout her life – she had never mentioned the alleged abuse to anyone before.

“Because I live with shame,” she said.

The court heard a statement the second complainant’s former partner, who said she had told him during their relationship that she had been abused as a young girl.

“I’m not sure she told me the full name, but I remember his first name was Clint,” he said.

Sergeant Matthew O’Brien, the officer on the case, read the defendant’s interview to the court, where Roberts described the allegations as “malicious”.

“I don’t even know the names,” he told police. “They don’t ring a bell.”

The trial continues.