A Colchester man faces serious charges related to multiple child sex offences, with the trial now underway in Chelmsford Crown Court
Colchester: Lloyd Prior, a 36-year-old from East Bergholt, is in court facing some pretty serious allegations. He’s accused of committing 12 sexual offences against minors between 2005 and 2015.
The trial kicked off on Monday at Chelmsford Crown Court, and it’s already making headlines. Prior is denying all the charges, which include five counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13 and even a count of rape.
The prosecutor, Richard Whitcombe, shared that Prior’s alleged offences started when he was just a teenager. He reportedly took a child to his room, claiming he had a “secret” to show them, which led to a sexual act.
It gets even more troubling. The child eventually told an adult about the incident, which led to a confrontation with Prior. The prosecution also mentioned that the same child was assaulted again a few years later.
Whitcombe explained that the child, now in their 20s, felt something was wrong but didn’t fully grasp the situation at the time. In another case, Prior is accused of assaulting a different child while they were unwell.
As the opening statements wrapped up, the jury heard about an alleged rape incident. It’s worth noting that these allegations only came to light in 2022 when the parents of the victims started talking to each other.
Prior has firmly denied all the charges against him, and the trial is set to continue.
