The former owner of an Eyre Peninsula bakery and his then-wife are standing trial for alleged historic child sex abuse

The former owner of a bakery on the Eyre Peninsula started sexually abusing two girls before getting his wife involved, a court has heard.

The former owner of a bakery on the Eyre Peninsula allegedly groomed two of his young employees in the 1980s before making them pseudo members of his family, a court has heard. The man and his then-wife are standing trial in the District Court, denying the relationships they maintained with the two victims occurred before they turned 17.

Prosecutor Lisa Dunlop told the District Court in her opening statement that the male accused allegedly started a sexual relationship with the then 15-year-old victims, before his wife became involved later on.

The man has been charged with two counts of indecent assault, four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and two counts of sexual abuse of a child.

The female accused has been charged with four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and one count of sexual abuse of a child.

Ms Dunlop said the relationship with the first victim allegedly started with “sexual conversations” before progressing further.

“He used the vulnerabilities of the victim – her youth, her naivety, her innocence – to create a relationship with her which he could then exploit in a sexual way,” she said.

“That influence extended to not just having the victim have sex with him, but also including his wife … in that sexual activity.”

Ms Dunlop said the relationship with the victim allegedly continued until the early 2000s and saw her give birth to three of the male accused’s children.

The couple are standing trial in the District Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

“She was part of that family unit, effectively a de facto additional wife in that family,” she said.

“When she left that relationship with (the accused), she left her children behind.”

Ms Dunlop said while the male accused maintained a relationship with the first victim, he also allegedly sparked up a relationship with another 15-year-old girl who worked at his bakery, and eventually forced both victims to engage in “threesomes”.

Ms Dunlop said the second victim also lived with the married couple for a certain time and fell pregnant with the accused male’s child.

“In fact, in about the space of seven months, (the male accused) had three different children by the three different women that were living in his house,” she said.

There is no suggestion the female accused was involved in the relationship with the second victim until after she turned 17.

The prosecution also allege the man indecently assaulted an 18-year-old woman while she worked at the bakery.

Sally Burgess, defence counsel for the male accused, said her client denies ever having underage sex with either girl, but admits to having sex with them once they were over the age of 17. She said her client never “sexually touched” the 18-year-old girl.

Carrie Demertzis, defence counsel for the female accused, said her client also denies any sexual contact with the two victims before they turned of legal age.

The trial before a jury continues.