A RETIRED North Yorkshire magistrate has been accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl.

A jury at York Crown Court heard allegations that 79-year-old Barry Sampson, a former chairman of the Tadcaster and Selby benches, forced the girl to perform sex acts on him, and committed other intrusive sexual assaults on her - starting when she was only 12.

The attacks continued until she was 17, it was claimed.

Sampson, of Smaws Hamlet, Leeds Road, Tadcaster, became chairman of the Tadcaster bench in 1972. He became chairman of the Selby court when it was created in 1974, continuing until his retirement in 1989.

He denies a total of 25 offences, said to have been committed between 1976 and 1982.

Sampson, a farmer, faces eight counts of gross indecency, 15 of indecent assault, and one of cruelty to a child.

The alleged victim, now aged 38, yesterday told York Crown Court that the first time Sampson made her perform a sex act, he had told her she needed to learn how to pleasure any future husband she had.

"I was left feeling sick. It happened several times when I was 12 years old, sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly," she said.

The woman also told the court how Sampson hit her six times with a bamboo cane after he had sexually assaulted her.

She said: "The blows left lumps on the back of my legs."

Deborah Sherwin, for Sampson, asked the woman why she had said nothing about the attacks for so long.

She reported them to police last year.

The woman said she had told another adult, but was not believed.

She said: "At that time this sort of thing was not discussed. I felt I was to blame for what was happening and I must have done something to encourage it."

Ms Sherwin suggested to the woman she was hit "three or four times" with the cane, rather than six.

"I am sure it was six, I counted," the woman replied.

Simon Hickey, prosecuting, had told the jury that Sampson had admitted touching the girl indecently when interviewed by police, but claimed he had been carrying out a medical examination.

Ms Sherwin put it to the woman that this incident had been the only time he had touched her in an indecent way.

But the woman said: "If that had been the only occasion, I would not be here now. I would not put myself through this."

The trial was continuing today.

Updated: 10:35 Thursday, April 15, 2004