Klay describes 'molestation'

2009-11-03 22:01

Pretoria - Young Afrikaans singer Robbie Klay on Tuesday described in detail to the North Gauteng High Court how fellow singer Jurie Els allegedly started molesting him when he was 11.

Els, who now lives in New Zealand, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of indecently assaulting Klay and a charge of soliciting Klay to commit indecent acts while he was under the age of 16.

Klay, who started singing at the age of five, testified that in 1997 Els offered him and his mother a recording contract with the record company where Els was in charge of the Afrikaans section.

Klay and his mother initially visited Els together at his home to work on his repertoire, but he soon started visiting Els alone and ended up spending nights with the singer at his home in Garsfontein.

Els had gone out of his way to make him feel comfortable and told him he should not be shy.

Father figure

Els sought to fill the role of a father figure in his life, as he had lost contact with his own father at a young age.

He soon started enjoying visiting Els and for the first time started using the internet, with Els encouraging him to visit sex sites and allowing him to watch sex scenes in videos - which his mother had never permitted at home.

According to Klay, Els encouraged him to walk around without underwear in Els' shorts and helped him undress and bathe. They often swam together naked, he said.

Els told him his emerging sexual awakening was "dead normal" and "he should know these things" as he was becoming a man.

Klay described several incidents where Els had gradually introduced him to sexual behaviour.

He had never told anyone about these incidents, because he was afraid, as Els had told him it was "their secret" and if he ever said anything he (Els) would go to jail and Klay (whom he affectionately called Robs), would end up in an orphanage.

The trial continues.

- SAPA