A man is standing trial in Tralee Circuit Court on more than 50 counts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a teenage girl.
Neither the man nor the alleged victim can be named for legal reasons.
The court heard the accused man denies all charges.
The man faces 28 counts of sexually assaulting the teenager, and 24 counts of sexual exploitation of the same teenager, over a span of five years.
The man is the step-father of the alleged injured party, and it’s alleged all of the offending took place in Kerry, the vast majority within the family home.
A jury of seven men and five women was sworn in to hear the case yesterday at Tralee Circuit Court before Judge Ronan Munro.
Opening the case for the prosecution, barrister Tom Rice said it will be alleged that the sexual assaults occurred regulary between 2012 and 2017, aside from a gap of about a year in the middle.
He told the court it will be alleged the man touched the girl’s private parts inappropriately.
Mr Rice told the jury the sexual exploitation charges begin from late 2015, and again allegedly occurred regularly until late 2017.
He said this involves the man allegedly inviting the girl to participate in sexual acts with him during that period.
Mr Rice said the man propositioned his step-daughter, who was a child.
The girl was under 17 years of age for the duration of the alleged sexual assaults and sexual exploitation.
Mr Rice told the jury the issue in the case will be whether the incidents actually happened, and that is a matter for the jury to decide.
The jury will begin hearing evidence in the case later this morning.
