A third young victim offered evidence yesterday as the trial of an alleged paedophile continued in Supreme Court.

A 53-year-old Smith's parish man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - is accused of 11 charges of sexual exploitation against minors while in a position of trust and one charge of inciting a minor to touch him.

The charges against the former primary school teacher and camp counsellor stem from incidents alleged to have occurred between 1997 and 1999 and involve 11 young girls.

Yesterday, the schoolgirl witness testified her former teacher had rubbed her stomach and moved his hands towards her private parts before she asked him to stop. The girl, now 12, said she had hurt her leg while attempting a long jump in a school sports day in April 1999 when the teacher approached her and began rubbing her stomach and then worked his way down.

She told the jury: "It made me feel uncomfortable. I didn't know where to look.

"He didn't actually touch my vagina. I said stop."

The girl said there were about ten other girls around at the time and the assault was seen by one of her friends who expressed concern.

She did not want to receive a certificate given by the teacher because it would remind her of him, she said.

On cross-examination from defence attorney Elizabeth Christopher the girl denied she had made up the story because it was suggested by friends.

She also denied discussing the incident with friends. Much of the remainder of the second day of the trial was consumed by legal arguments but the jury also heard briefly from Police officer Sharita Tankard.

P.c. Tankard said she had accompanied a number of other officers to a Warwick address to arrest the defendant on May 18, 2000. She said the defendant was informed they were investigating two charges of sexual assault made against him, cautioned and taken to Hamilton Police Station.

In the first day of testimony, the court heard from two of the 11 alleged victims who both claimed the defendant had rubbed their stomachs.

One girl, who was eight years old at the time of the alleged incident, said the defendant had moved towards her private parts but she asked him to stop.

The second alleged victim said he had rubbed her stomach and told her he loved her, but never touched her private parts.

The trial is being prosecuted by Juan Wolffe and Shakira Dill and continues today before Assistant Justice Charles-Etta Simmons.