A Police officer who denies sexually assaulting three young boys admitted to a Supreme Court jury yesterday that he slept with one of the boys in his bed.

The officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took the stand to tell the seven-man five-woman jury that all of the three boys who claim he sexually assaulted them are not telling the truth. The officer faces a slew of sexual assault related charges involving three boys, ages ten and eleven, which date back to 1996. During questioning by Senior Crown counsel Juan Wolffe, the officer admitted that during the boy?s Christmas holiday in December, 2001, the boy stayed overnight at his home. He told the court he stayed in his bed because one of the spare rooms at the four-bedroom residence did not have sheets on the bed.

The officer said when he returned to his home after his shift ended at 12 a.m., the boy was sleeping in his bed. He said he joined him in the bed wearing a shirt and black swim trunks and the boy was wearing pyjamas.

?Why not make up a bed and tell him where to sleep?? asked Mr. Wolffe, pointing out that the boy could have slept on the couch. The officer said he did not know what sheets went with what bed and said the boy was used to sleeping with people.

?You didn?t find it strange that you as a Police Officer were sleeping in your own bed with an 11-year-old boy when there were so many other places he could have slept?? said Mr. Wolffe.

Prior to cross examination, the officer said that the boy?s mother had called him asking if he would be able to baby-sit her son. Mr. Wolffe said that the officer had called his mother himself expressing an interest in taking care of her son.

?The reason you called the boy?s mother is because you knew no one would be home,? said Mr. Wolffe.

?That is untrue,? the officer replied.

Mr. Wolffe suggested the officer told the boy to take his clothes off and lay stomach down on the couch when he proceeded to rub his penis on the boy?s bottom.

Mr. Wolffe said the boy was sodomised by the officer on another occasion and also spanked four times causing an injury on his left buttock, shown in photographs presented to the court on Monday.

Mr. Wolffe suggested he gave the boy painkillers after sodomising him. These were presented to the court as exhibits. The officer said he took painkiller medication for arthritis and another medication for Type II diabetes which he had never given to the boy to take.

The officer also admitted that it was possible that he had seen the boy naked, while Mr. Wolffe suggested he had gone further in his sexual acts. During questioning by defence counsel John Perry QC, the officer said he had met the three boys and wanted to provide a positive source of encouragement in their lives. He helped them with their homework and took them out on recreational activities like fishing and watching movies.He said he met one of the boys, now 18, when he was working at St. George?s Police Station in 1996. The boy?s mother had called as her son used to run away when he was young and she did not know where he was. The officer said he became further acquainted with the boy after his mother asked if he would become a big brother to her son and help to improve his behaviour. He did admit to the court he gave the boy presents in 1996, including a gold crucifix pendant and gold chain with the boy?s name and date on the back and two goldfish. He denied ever giving him other gifts including a Nintendo and Sony Play Station. The trial continues today before Assistant Justice Carlisle Greaves.