A respected paramedic from Warminster stood in the dock today as a jury heard how he sexually abused a schoolboy under the guise of "playing a game of draughts."

Great Western Ambulance Service employee Michael Ewers, of Boreham Road, showed the 11-year-old his collection of pornographic magazines and committed indecent acts with the boy, Reading Crown Court heard.

The 41-year-old medic, who has been suspended from duties by the Health Professions Council, denies four charges of indecency with a child and one other serious sex offence.

The jury heard that Ewers, now a paramedic employed by the Great Western Ambulance Service, carried out the sexual abuse when he was in his 20s.

The offences only came to light when the victim. now a 32-year-old father-of-one, talked to his wife about what happened to him as a child and the police were then contacted.

The prosecution told the court that Ewers introduced the then schoolboy to pornography before later encouraging him to touch him.

The attacks were carried out in Ewers' bedroom in Aldebury Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, sometime between May 1988 and May 1991 when the victim was aged between 11 and 13 years.

Daniel Fugallo, prosecuting, told the jury at Reading Crown Court that Ewers took advantage of the vulnerable schoolboy.

"The defendant, then aged around 20, reportedly engaged in sexual activity with the victim," he said.

"The sexual abuse started with the defendant showing this 11-year-old boy his collection of pornographic magazines."

The court was told the defendant turned to encouraging the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to touch him and then encouraged him to perform indecent acts.

Giving evidence the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the jury that Ewers had been like a father figure to him - but the abuse has blighted his life for the last 20 years.

"It felt good to have someone at my side, most of all a father figure," he said.

"There weren't many males I could get close to and in some ways it was the first time I had felt loved by a man," he said.

He told the court that Ewers had warned him about telling anyone about what went on.

"He said that if I was to say anything no-one would believe me," added the victim.

The jury heard that pair would tell people they were going to the bedroom "to play draughts" - and then the abuse would start.

The victim admitted under cross-examination that he could have left the room but chose not to do so.

Ian Lawrie, defending, asked the witness why he continued to go up to the bedroom.

The victim replied: "There was a level of emotional attachment with it."

He also admitted that he felt he had a "certain amount of power" over the defendant after their bedroom encounters.

Ewers, who is married, claimed he never had sexual intercourse with the boy and that the victim invented the encounters to deal with his own insecurities.

When arrested by police he refused to answer any questions.

Ewers joined the auxiliary RAF in 1990 before later becoming a paramedic based in Wiltshire. He was suspended after police arrested and charged him.

The case continues.