Trial begins for Sunshine Coast man charged with historic child abuse offences

A Sunshine Coast business owner was a musician and student masseuse at the time he was alleged to have inappropriately touched a girl, a court has been told.

Mark Higgins pleaded not guilty to both charges. ​

Five witnesses have provided evidence in the trial of a prominent Sunshine Coast business owner regarding serious allegations of historical child abuse offences against a girl more than 20 years ago.

Mark Anthony Higgins, 57, has pleaded not guilty in Maroochydore District Court to two counts of indecent treatment of a child aged under 16, alleged to have occurred more than 20 years ago.

The jury was told on Thursday the charges were in relation to alleged offences said to have taken place on unknown dates, between August 26, 1997 and August 27, 1998, involving a girl aged under 12 at the time.

Evidence presented to the jury alleged Mr Higgins inappropriately touched the girl on one occasion and exposed himself to her on another, during a period in the 90s when he was a musician and student masseuse.

The two separate incidents are alleged to have taken place in Palmview in the Sunshine Coast and The Gap in Brisbane.

Mark Higgins faced court over alleged child sex offences.

Mr Higgins pleaded not guilty to both charges and will be represented by defence barrister Russell Pearce in the trial.

The 57-year-old is well-known in the local music industry and opened the Shake It Up music store at Currie St, Nambour in 2004.

It expanded to a three-storey megastore, which made it one of the biggest music stores on the Sunshine Coast.

Maroochydore District Court Judge Glen Cash said the trial was expected to go for a number of days, with the jury expected to return a verdict by Monday, March 6.