'Boys groomed for sex' court told

A bus driver who met two intellectually-challenged boys on his bus allegedly groomed them for sex, a court has been told.

In the Christchurch District Court, Robert James Ferguson, 59, denied two charges of grooming a young person for sex, doing an indecent act on a young person, and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection or, in the alternative, sexual connection with a person under 16.

Opening the Crown case, prosecutor Kathryn Dalziel said Ferguson met the two brothers on his bus.

They alleged that what was originally a friendship progressed to sexual activity during a holiday.

"The Crown says it will become apparent they are telling the truth about what the accused did to them in that week of the school holidays," Dalziel said.

Ferguson had befriended the boys over time, giving them his telephone number and showing them where he lived.

In April last year, one of the boys let Ferguson know his parents would be away on holiday.

Ferguson took leave and arranged to meet the brothers, buying them treats, taking them for drives and back to his flat to watch videos.

He told them he had a steel rod in his thigh, which was painful, and asked them to massage his thigh with baby oil.

Ferguson admitted paying the boys to massage his thigh. He said it was a silly thing to do and he should have known better, but he denied any sexual offending.

Both boys had a mental age much younger than their actual age and received learning support, Dalziel said.

Opening for the defence, lawyer David Bunce asked the jury not to jump to any premature conclusions.

Ferguson denied any improper intention towards the boys, or that any sexual contact or touching occurred.

The trial is expected to take about three days.

- © Fairfax NZ News