A man who has accused a former scout leader of sexually abusing him as a child has given evidence in court.

He described how Ian Silvester, of Locks Hill in Portslade, would get him to lie on the floor in his underwear and would stroke and tickle his body, when he was aged seven or eight.

He told a police officer during an interview in 2019 that the waistband of his underwear would be pulled down to just below his hips and Silvester would brush his fingers underneath the waistband occasionally touching his genitals.

He is one of nineteen men who have accused Silvester of sexual abuse. 

He reported that the incidents of touching began as a “game” when Silvester, now 60, was babysitting. He described the incidents as “so creepy” and “weird".

He said the touching then continued during first aid training and he said the abuse continued until he was 10 years old.

READ MORE: 'Vulnerable' boys and young men were 'groomed' by first aid trainer, court hears

During an interview with police in 2019, he said: “I absolutely loved the first aid stuff. That’s what I wanted to be, I wanted to be an ambulance consultant.”

He said he felt like the touching was “the price he had to pay” for learning about first aid.

On one occasion, he described how his mother came upstairs to find him lying on the floor in his underwear with stickers labelling body parts on him, as well as writing on his body.

He said: “She burst through the door and went absolutely apesh*t at him.

“I was on the floor with stickers and writing on me, in my underwear, with the waistband pulled down.

“I remember all hell breaking loose and her kicking him out the house. She was absolutely furious.

“That was the last time it was just him and me.”

On another occasion, he described how Silvester pushed his head into his crotch while they were fixing some drawers together.

READ MORE: Portslade Scout leader denies 76 offences against boys

“That was the most aggressive he ever got”, he said.

He added: “I knew something was wrong. I knew that it wasn’t normal. But I never spoke up because I didn’t want to get into trouble.”

He said being around Silvester “was very uncomfortable” and he found him “creepy”.

The man’s brother, who was a scout, has also reported being abused by Silvester in a similar fashion, the court heard.

During the second day of the trial, evidence was also given by a man who worked at the scout group led by Silvester. The man was aged between 16 and 17 at the time.

He described how Silvester was committed to the group.

He said: “He was very dedicated. Very well organised, very committed, organising events, planning.

“A lot of spare time was spent organising the next things we were going to do.”

He reported witnessing Silvester’s “jungle treatment” which he allegedly administered to boys at the scout group, which involved touching and tickling the boys’ torsos as if they were being touched by different animals.

He said: “It was like horse play, tickling the kids. He would get a kid to be on the floor and get on top of them and then pretend different animals were on top.

“Afterwards he looked quite flushed and hot.

“It didn’t seem wrong, it didn't seem right. I felt a little bit uncomfortable but I didn’t say anything at the time.”

Silvester denies 83 charges, of indecent assault, sexual activity with a child, sexual assault and possession of indecent images of children.

The trial continues at Lewes Crown Court.