17 Aug 2016

Man tells court he was lured into sex acts

12:45 pm on 17 August 2016

A witness at the trial of a Taranaki man facing 49 sex charges says he was lured into sex acts with promises of money from a prostitution and pornography business.

Nigel Allan Hauauru Nelson is on trial in the High Court in New Plymouth

Nigel Allan Hauauru Nelson is on trial in the High Court in New Plymouth Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin

Nigel Allan Hauauru Nelson is on trial at the High Court in New Plymouth, accused of rape, unlawful sexual connection and sexual exploitation of a person under-18.

The Crown says the offending occurred between 1996 and 2015 across the Waikato, King Country and Taranaki regions and involved 15 vulnerable male victims.

The witness said he was 17-years-old and broke when he auditioned for an escort and porn business Nelson said he owned.

He said he never got any work and very little money.

The Crown said Nelson invented the porn and escort business.

But Nelson's defence said the man was 18-years-old at the time and the allegations were fabricated.