Care home worker 'was sexual bully'

Gordon Wateridge used his position of authority at the Haut de la Garenne home to touch teenage girls in a sexual manner, it was alleged.

The 78-year-old denies 19 counts of indecent assault and one of incitement to indecent assault relating to five victims between 1970 and 1974.

Jersey's Royal Court was told Wateridge would grope girls' breasts, kiss them on the neck and, in one instance, forced his hand inside an alleged victim's underwear.

The alleged attacks led to children at the home giving Wateridge a nickname of "The Perv".

Wateridge, who arrived at court hidden under a coat and brandishing a walking stick, is also accused of one count of assault involving a sixth victim.

He is the first person to be charged in connection with a historic child abuse investigation on the island.

Wateridge, who was born in Croydon, south London, now lives in the Jersey parish of St Clement.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Stephen Baker said Wateridge had worked as a house parent at the children's home from 1970 to 1974.

The youngsters sent there were vulnerable and suffered from a variety of problems, the court was told.