“I WAS in some sort of strange parallel place,” said a man speaking to police about the alleged sexual abuse he experienced as a young boy.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, first reported it to police in April 2019 after seeing media coverage of child abuse and ‘feeling ready’ to talk.

He told police that Philip Saunders, now 67, abused him between November 1982 and November 1985 in Slough when he was in his late twenties.

Read the trial opening here: Philip Saunders denies nine counts of child sex abuse in Slough

Saunders has been charged with nine counts of child sex abuse but has denied each one.

On Wednesday (October 4), the jury were played the recorded police interview with the boy where he first gave evidence against Saunders.

He said the alleged abuse ‘changed his life’ and caused it go ‘downhill’, adding that he ‘lost everything.’

Starting his evidence, he said: “My interest with him was initially about cars and he had a particularly nice car at the time and I got to go out that occasionally which was very nice and the relationship progressed from there.

“I went to stay at his house and it was completely innocent until one night when there was an excuse where I couldn’t stay in the spare room, I can’t remember the exact excuse, but I then had to share a bed with him.

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“I was scared and nervous but I went along with it anyway as I didn’t see any issue with it at the time. During the night, my underpants were pulled down and he fondled me.

“I froze and stayed frozen during the whole time he was touching me…the following morning I believe he made the excuse that he thought I was his girlfriend or partner.”

He continued to say that Saunder’s behaviour allegedly ‘progressed’ to him buying him gifts and paying for expensive items before the alleged abuse worsened.

“It was initially about me pleasuring him…he reciprocated and wanted to do that to me and it happened on a regular basis and it became normal.

“I was in some sort of strange parallel place. I was shutting down to be able to cope with what was going on.”

He added that he was allegedly made to watch pornography and pose for pictures naked.

“I started to refuse to go to school and started to rebel in life,” he said. “My life went downhill, for me I lost everything.”

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Saunders, previous of Langley in Slough but now of Queens Road, Aylesham in Canterbury, could be seen taking notes throughout the evidence while in the dock, wearing a light blue t-shirt.

The trial continues.