A FATHER spoke yesterday of his misery after he had to confront his 11-year-old daughter when he was told she had been abused.

The man, who cannot be named, was told that his daughter was one of four children Sean Dobson, 19, is accused of assaulting.

Mr Dobson is facing nine charges of rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child.

Newcastle Crown Court heard yesterday how the man approached his daughter and said to her: "I know about Sean."

He then told the court how the girl burst into tears and could not be comforted as she relived the horror she had been through.

He said: "I can still see it to this day. I said I know about Sean and she just burst into tears.

"I sat with her on the wall to calm her down and said 'are you going to tell me what's happened?'.

"I was cuddling her and telling her to tell me in her own time, and we slowly walked home.

"She eventually told me what had happened."

The youngster is one of three girls, aged 11 to 14, who Mr Dobson is accused of attacking. He is also accused of assaulting an 11-year-old boy.

Euan Duff, prosecuting, told the court how Mr Dobson would abuse the youngsters, often when there was more than one of them present.

He would touch them intimately and make them touch him, and even tried to have full sex with the boy.

One of the terrified youngsters told her mother what had been happening and he was arrested.

Mr Dobson of Barry Square, Sunderland, told police the youngsters must have been put up to making the allegations.

He denies all charges and the trial continues