Trial continues for Brian Cerqua accused of child rape

Mr Cerqua was found not guilty on all counts on Friday, April 19.

Brian Lee Cerqua, from Amesbury, has been charged with six counts of sexual activity with a child which are said to have taken place between April 24, 2006, and April 23, 2009.

Cerqua, 47, has pleaded not guilty.

Read more: ​Amesbury man Brian Cerqua on trial in Salisbury for child rape

The victim cannot be named for legal reasons but for reporting purposes will be called Ms X.

The catalyst for Ms X reporting the abuse was an an EastEnders storyline, aired in October 2020, during which Mick Carter revealed his historic sex abuse as a child, Salisbury Crown Court heard.

She told Wiltshire Police on November 3, 2021, that the abuse began when she was 12-and-a-half years old and continued until she was 15-and-a-half.

Cerqua began having sex with the complainant when she was 13 years old and he raped her "more than 30 times", Ms X claimed.

During her police interview, Ms X said: "I felt and still feel guilty and disgusting ashamed and never ever wanted anyone to find out that’s why I've denied it all these years.

"I just really want closure and feel happy and give love to my kids. I don’t want this to keep ruining my life."

Brian Lee Cerqua is on trial after pleading not guilty to having sexual activity with a child. (Image: Newsquest)

Cerqua, a man in his 30s at the time, was dealing drugs which he allegedly gave to Ms X. These included ecstasy, cannabis and an amphetamine known colloquially as "base".

Ms X said Cerqua would also take her on shopping trips, "play fight" and "joke around".

"I thought he was amazing at the time. I thought he loved me and I loved him," she told the police.

Ms X told the court it was like the pair were in a relationship as Cerqua would 'cuddle her from behind and kiss her head' as she washed up.

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The first time something "a bit strange" happened was when a clothed Cerqua allegedly "grinded" on the complainant's head as he leaned over to adjust the aerial of her television. She was aged 12-and-a-half.

"I just made out like I didn’t know what had gone on. I didn’t like that. I kept thinking this isn’t what normally happens but I didn’t question it," she said.

Roughly two years later, Cerqua gave her a key to his bedsit on Lyndhurst Road, Amesbury, according to Ms X.

This is where the majority of the rapes took place, she claimed.

'I just led there and I just liked making him happy'

One evening, after smoking "a bit of weed", the pair allegedly had sex multiple times and Ms X's leg began to shake.

She told the police: "He laughed and said I made your leg shake. Must have meant you enjoyed it. 

"At the time I didn’t understand that. I remember being so embarrassed because I didn't know why it wouldn't stop shaking.

"Now I’m older, I didn’t enjoy it. I just led there and I just liked making him happy."

Cerqua allegedly told Ms X people would "get the wrong impression" and that he would "go to prison" because "they don't understand our relationship".

"I didn’t think anything bad would happen to Brian if anyone knew, I didn’t understand back then," she said.

Events reportedly culminated in 2009 when Ms X was 15 years old and Cerqua attacked her new boyfriend at his home in Wisford-cum-Lake.

Ms X claims this was because Cerqua "got wind" that she liked the young man.

Fern Russell, defending, argued the pair "got on" until Ms X's boyfriend stopped paying Cerqua for his drugs.

The trial continues.