A FORMER Wrexham care home worker took photographs of a boy he is accused of sexually abusing.

The victim was one of three residents of the Bryn Alyn Community that Kevin Poole is alleged to have sexually abused in the 1970s.

Poole, 65, has appeared at Mold Crown Court charged with historic sex offences arising out of the Pallial investigation run by the National Crime Agency and North Wales Police.

The court heard Poole took up a position at Bryn Alyn in 1971 and was there when one of the complainants, now aged 60, said he was in bed masturbating when he alleged Poole grabbed hold of his penis.

A second complainant, now 57, claimed Poole kept asking him to strip naked and got him to touch his penis after which he would take photographs. He alleged the abuse went on for two years.

A third complainant said he was sexually abused by Poole after he went to his room to complain he had a stomach upset.

He said Poole started tickling his stomach and then touched his penis over his pyjama bottoms. In a separate incident he got him to masturbate him in a tent outside the grounds.

Barrister Catherine Donnelly, prosecuting, told the court the first complainant lived in Bryn Alyn between 1969 and 1971.

“He spoke about the defendant who he described as being “sneaky and chubby”. He said he was a bit of a bully and he took a lot of photographs of the boys,” she said.

It was alleged Poole came into a bedroom at Pentre Saeson – one of the care homes that was part of the Bryn Alyn Community - when the complainant was masturbating.

“He was on the top bunk at the time and he says Kevin Poole grabbed his penis for a matter of seconds.

"He later described it as a bit of play acting and that Kevin Poole had made a joke about it,” said Ms Donnelly.

The second complainant claimed Poole attacked him after he told him to stop the abuse. But care home owner John Allen told Poole to say his victim had fallen over.

“When he was first approached (by police) in 1993 he did not want to tell police what had happened. He was embarrassed to admit what had happened in front of his wife,” said the prosecutor.

The third complainant underwent counselling in 2008 when he revealed he was sexually abused at Bryn Alyn.

Poole was interviewed by police in 2013 and told of a regime at Bryn Alyn where there was little staff training.

He said he moved from Gloucester to start his job in North Wales shortly after finishing his A-levels excited about the opportunity to pursue a career in social care.

At the time he was a lean 13 stone having played rugby at school, but during his time at Bryn Alyn his weight ballooned to 23 stone and he became reliant on Valium and drinking gin.

“He denied the offences and said he was surprised about the allegations,” said the prosecutor who added: “All three boys were vulnerable and relied on the staff at the children’s home to look after them.

“He (Poole) was in a position of authority over the boys.”

Poole, of Upton Hill, Upton St.Leonards, Gloucestershire, denies five counts of indecent assault on a male.

The trial continues.