THE main desire of the west Cumbrian pensioner accused of sexually abusing two boys while he worked with local theatres was 'spanking,' a jury was told.

The claim about 74-year-old Workington man Paul Stuart Adams was made by one of the two young men who have accused him of abusing them as the trial went into a third day at Carlisle Crown Court.

Adams, of Banklands, Workington, has pleaded not guilty to 15 sex offences, including multiple child sex offences. They include allegations that he paid a teenage boy for sexual services.

Giving evidence today, one of the alleged victims told the jury that he regularly met Adams at his home, where the pensioner would pay him £50 per time to strip naked for him.

The witness also told the court that Adams enjoyed hitting him, with a cane on some occasions and at other times with a wicker 'rug beater.'

On one occasion, he did this so intensively, said the witness, that the beater broke. 

In cross examination, defence barrister Richard Dawson asked the witness: “You never mentioned it before, spanking with a rug beater, a beating so great that it broke?”

READ MORE: Former soldier with PTSD wrongly dismissed by Sellafield

The witness said he had buried the incident in his subconscious, saying this was something that happened with traumatic experiences. “Details come back in dreams of flashbacks,” he said.

The memories also returned whenever he underwent post-traumatic stress. He said he had been discussing beating carpets with friend when that memory came back, causing him to have a panic attack.

Under further questioning, the witness said that at the time of the alleged offences he had not realised he was being abused. “Spanking was Paul’s main desire,” he told the jury.

Mr Dawson asked the witness: “Are you making this up as you go along?” The man replied: “No.” The barrister suggested that the witness had 'fabricated' the claim that Adams plied him with whiskey when he visited him.

“No,” said the witness again.

Mr Dawson said: “Paul Adams sought to do no more than to provide guidance and mentoring for you…

“While it is accepted on his part that it was stupid of him to agree to your request to spank him, that was on a single occasion. It might be considered an inappropriate action but it was consensual and not unlawful conduct.”

The witness said: “I would disagree.”

The prosecution claims that Adams took advantage of the alleged victim’s drug addiction, offering him money in return for abusing him. The second alleged victim made his allegations after reading about the prosecution in the News & Star, the jury heard.

Six of the 15 charges faced by the defendant relate to two 'child' victims – either paying a child for sexual services – or indecent assaults on a child; and three of those five charges are specimen counts relating to multiple alleged incidents.

The trial continues.

READ MORE: Dental and GP school plan for West Cumbria