2 Oct 2018

Coach accused of sexual abuse: 'I never did that to him'

8:28 pm on 2 October 2018

A junior rugby coach and teacher aid has repeatedly denied allegations he sexually abused boys in his care.

Alosio Taimo on trial in the Auckland High Court.

Alosio Taimo on trial in the Auckland High Court. Photo: RNZ / Edward Gay

Alosio Taimo has spent the day giving evidence in his own defence, denying a string of allegations brought by 18 boys.

The 106 charges laid by the Crown span nearly 30 years, with the youngest complainant just 9 years old at the time.

The Crown's case is that Mr Taimo sexually abused boys at his job at McDonald's where he worked as a manager, at a school where he later worked as a teacher aide and in his own home and car, amongst others.

Mr Taimo was walked through his evidence by his lawyer Tua Saseve and his responses to the allegations of abuse have been similar.

He had this to say about an allegation that he abused a boy on a lawn: "That wouldn't be happen [sic]... I never did that to him."

Then at the McDonald's where he worked, after the restaurant closed: "That couldn't be happen, because we all had to leave at a certain time or otherwise we would get a call from the security and we had to give them a reason why, that we're not out by the certain time that we're supposed to be out."

The McDonald's allegations did not stop there.

Mr Saseve said there were also allegations that Mr Taimo took a boy to the lunchroom and sexually abused him.

Mr Taimo responded: "That's not happening because, as I said before, we do have security cameras there."

The same went for allegations that he broke into a kindergarten with a boy at night and sexually abused him in a classroom.

"That's ridiculous to me ... You know jumping through the window, there would be alarm systems so why hasn't the alarm been gone?"

In response to an allegation that he abused a friend's son in their lounge room, he had this to say: "It couldn't be happening, because I haven't been inside their house."

Mr Taimo was also asked about a meeting in 2005. A witness has said Mr Taimo was confronted with offending against a boy and got down on his knees to beg forgiveness.

Mr Taimo said it did not happen.

"I never apologised, I never been on my knees."

Mr Taimo will continue to give evidence tomorrow before he is cross examined by the Crown.

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