A MAN accused of abducting and sexually abusing children as young as four has said he was "pestered" by his alleged victims.
Martyn Littell, 40, is facing two counts of child abduction, two counts of sexually assaulting boys aged between 4 and 10, and one charge of engaging in sexual activity with an eight-year-old boy.
He denies all the charges, which also include nine counts of making indecent videos of children from material he found on the internet, and possessing indecent images of children.
This week at Croydon Crown Court, prosecutor Gareth Munday, told the court how Littell, who now lives in West Wickham, had "befriended" and "groomed" the boys, luring them to his flat with chocolate and crisps.
Four boys gave evidence via a video link and claimed Littell told them to take their clothes off in return for "treats" in October 2012.
They also said Littell took two boys into the underground car park and performed a sex act on an eight-year-old.
In his defence, Littell said he had got to know the boys over a year and begun playing football with them.
On October 13, 2012, Littell said the boys came up to his flat when his wife was out with a friend.
When he went out to put out the rubbish, three brothers came up to the flat to watch Dr Who DVDs, followed shortly by a different set of brothers.
"I said they were allowed one piece of chocolate each if they wanted," Littell said.
"They were pestering me and opening cupboard doors. When you are in that situation, it is much easier to give in."
Littell then said the boys got "boisterous" and one knocked over and broke the jar the sweets were contained in.
"I was angry then and told them, enough, they had to go downstairs," he said.
Later, he said he was playing football with the boys when he saw the eight-year-old "with his hands down his trousers, masturbating".
"I asked him what he was doing and he said he was doing it because it felt nice," Littell said.
The accused then admitted to describing to the eight-year-old and another nine-year-old how adults have sex as well as oral sex.
"I regret ever having a conversation like that with children and realise it was wrong morally," Littell said.
In the afternoon, Littell said they went into the undergound car park because it was raining and he found the same two boys masturbating in a room together.
"What I said to them could have been a catalyst and I was a bit alarmed," he told the court.
The next day, Littell said he went to the shops to replenish the crisps and chocolates the boys had eaten the day before and was followed by five of them.
In the afternoon, he was playing football with the boys when one asked to show him a "secret place" behind a fence.
It was in the evening that Littell said police arrived to arrest him.
"I do not know why they made these allegations," he said. "Maybe it was the way I shouted at them the day before, coupled with what I told them, and that they thought they would be in trouble behind the fence, I don't know."
When Mr Munday, prosecuting, told Littell he was lying, the accused passionately denied all the charges to the jury.
He also said he had "no idea" where the indecent images and videos found on his computer had come from.
His defence continues tomorrow.
