A minister accused of sexually abusing inmates at a North detention centre molested one teenager after recruiting him to help make wedding cakes, a court has been told.
The Rev Neville Husband became a clergyman with the United Reform Church based in Gateshead, but he had spent 27 years as a prison officer before moving into the ministry.
And prosecutors claim while in charge of catering at the former Medomsley Detention Centre near Consett, County Durham, he indecently assaulted six male inmates in a decade of abuse.
Yesterday one alleged victim told Newcastle Crown Court he was picked out for kitchen duties by Husband after being sent to the centre convicted of burglary.
He said Husband asked him to help make wedding cakes in an upstairs room and it was while there Husband made advances towards him and showed him pornographic magazines.
"He suggested I do him some favours and he would look after me. I had a pretty good idea by this point what those favours would be."
The witness said the abuse ended after he confronted Husband.
Husband, 65, of Snows Green Road, Shotley Bridge, denies 15 charges of indecent assault and a further serious sex offence between 1975 and 1985.
Prosecutor Jamie Hill earlier told the court it was a "compelling" feature of the case only two of the complainants knew each other, they were not at the centre at the same time and did not live in the same area.
