A teenager (name withheld) on Monday told the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court how one Pastor Pope Paul allegedly deflowered her and had sex with her on many occasions.

The 19-year-old survivor, living with the cleric, was 15 when Paul, a youth pastor at the Deeper Life Bible Church, allegedly had carnal knowledge of her.

The survivor was led in evidence by the state counsel, Inumidun Solarin. 

According to the survivor, she knew the defendant through his wife (Lydia), who she (the survivor) spent a holiday in 2016 with before she got married. 

The victim, who resided in Ibadan, said she began living with the couple with her mother’s consent. She said she was enrolled in a private school from SS1 and only returned to her parents during the holidays.

“On February 17, 2018, I noticed this lustful look on Mr Pope Paul, and he came to me; he started with a rough play and then bumped into me.

“He started touching me because there was nobody around.

“He moved on to touch my breasts and used his hand to cover my mouth while he inserted his fingers into my vagina.”

The teenager said the cleric played a Christian message and increased the volume so no one could hear her voice.

“As he fingered my private part, blood was flowing out.”

The survivor further told the court that the defendant said she would die if she told anyone, as he continued having sex with her.

“I once summoned the courage to indirectly tell his wife that I do not like the way her husband touched me, and the wife said she would talk to him,” she said.

The witness further said that the defendant came to her room at night, dragged her to the kitchen and had sexual intercourse with her.

She testified that her mother got suspicious of her when she got home and subjected her to a pregnancy test which turned out positive.

“My mum called the pastor, and he said that he was sorry and had asked God for forgiveness and knew God had forgiven him.

“My mum told him to inform his wife about the pregnancy, but he refused and later denied that he impregnated me, which prompted my mother to report the case to the police, and he was arrested,” the survivor said.

While being cross-examined by defence counsel, Gabriel Nbagho, the witness reiterated that the defendant inserted his finger into her private part.

She said she did not tell anyone about it because the defendant put fear in her mind, adding that she never had sex with any man before living with the couple.

She added that she never had any male friends.

Justice Ramon Oshodi adjourned the case until May 23 to continue the trial. 

(NAN)