A 19-year-old man who alleges he was sexually abused by an off-duty Police officer told a Supreme Court jury yesterday he did not tell his mother about the abuse because he did not want to upset her.

Yesterday, the boy told the seven-man, five-woman jury he had a close relationship with his mother, a single parent, and shielded her from any information about the alleged incidents.

On Monday, the court heard about one incident in June, 1998 at the accused man?s house. Yesterday, the boy told the court the abuse actually began in 1997 during an overseas trip to New York and Florida.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said on Monday he felt robbed of his innocence. Yesterday he spoke about feelings of confusion after the alleged incidents.

?My mother and I are very close. At that age I was willing to take that burden and deal with it myself,? he said. ?As an 11- or 12-year-old boy you?re confused, you don?t know what to do. I was afraid to tell my mother because of her reaction. How was I going to go to my mother and say I?ve been sexually assaulted? When you?re in that situation you?re lost.?

The Police officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces two charges of sexual assault against the boy, one charge of sexual exploitation and one charge of attempted buggery.

During questioning by Senior Crown counsel Juan Wolffe, the boy said the abuse began on a trip in June, 1997.

The Bermudian teenager, who now lives overseas, told the court he went on the trip with the defendant as a reward for receiving a scholarship to attend a private school.

During the trip, he alleged the defendant made him sleep naked next to him in bed at a hotel near Walt Disney World. He said he was told to lie on his stomach while lotion was rubbed on him with the accused then rubbing his erect penis on him.

?Physically I couldn?t stand up to him or do anything. I felt felt confused ... like why is this happening??

After spending more than a week in Florida, the pair went to New York City where the abuse continued. ?He would repeat these acts ... whenever he felt like doing it,? said the boy.

The man denies the charges in addition to a further two charges concerning a second boy and five charges concerning a third boy who were both ten at the time of the alleged offences.

Overseas counsel John Perry QC, representing the defendant, asked the boy him why, after the alleged incidents, he bought the accused a gift and said goodbye to him before leaving the Island.

?You didn?t say I?m not going to give this man a gift because he abused me,? said Mr. Perry. ?No, I did not,? he replied.

?Did you not specifically seek out this defendant to say goodbye to him??

?No, he turned up at the Airport with his family to say goodbye,? he said.

Mr. Wolffe complained that Mr. Perry was badgering the witness.

Mr. Greaves said defence council had the right to put across the defendant?s case as strongly as they felt was reasonable. ?He doesn?t have to play nice,? said Mr. Greaves.

Mr. Perry suggested to the boy that he had fabricated the incidents.

?The sexual activity you gave evidence of never occurred ... all those five statements are false,? he said to the boy.

The accused is also represented by local lawyer Leo Mills.

The trial is expected to take two weeks.