A FORMER British Airways pilot assaulted an underage boy at a West Dorset beauty spot, a court heard.

Bartle Frere, 50, from Shipton Gorge but now living in Oxfordshire, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday (tues) charged with 25 child sex offences on boys aged between 11 and 15.

The court also heard how Frere used Facebook to arrange meetings with teenagers when he visited other countries as part of his job.

Frere denies all of the charges.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Elisabeth Bussey-Jones told the jury some of the offences related to two boys from Dorset, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

One, now 25, was aged between 12 and 14 between April 30, 2001 and January 2003 when the alleged offences occurred.

Ms Bussey-Jones told the court Frere had driven the boy to Eggardon Hill in Bridport to perform a sex act on him.

The other complainant was aged 11 between January 2012 and September 2013, when the alleged offences were committed.

Police executed a search warrant of Frere's home on November 9, 2013, the court heard.

They seized computers and phones from his house and arrested him when he returned to the country the day after.

Ms Bussey-Jones said police forensic investigation into the computer found contact between Frere and one of the alleged victims.

The jury heard the boy had visited Frere's home in Shipton Gorge on multiple occasions and the first sexual contact between the boy and Frere happened in 2001, when he was 12, and continued for two years until the boy was about 14.

Ms Bussey-Jones said money and gifts were given to the boy as the relationship continued.

She said he felt obliged to perform sex acts on Frere because of the money and gifts but afterwards he would feel "guilty and disgusted."

Ms Bussey-Jones said: "In general, the sexual encounters would take place at Frere's home but on occasion they drove to Eggardon Hill.

She added: "The boy said that after each time he felt guilty he was allowing it to happen."

She said in a statement given by Frere to police, he denied the charges but admitted he knew the boy.

The court was shown a video recording of the police interview with one of the other alleged victims, in which he said he was inappropriately touched by Frere when he was watching videos on Frere's computer.

The court also heard how Frere used Facebook to arrange meetings with teenagers when he visited other countries as part of his job.

Frere has also been charged with five counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of child sex offences between June 2007 and November 2013.

The trial continues today (Wednesday).

Full list of charges

Indecent assault on a child, indecency with a child, possession of indecent photographs, making indecent photographs, attempting to record a person performing a private act without their permission, arranging or facilitating the commission of child sex offences and engaging in sexual activity with a child under 16.