Michael Le Vell allegedly raped a young girl while stifling her with a teddy bear.
The 'Coronation Street' actor is facing 12 charges relating to sexual abuse of a minor - all of which he denies - and as his trial started today (02.09.13) at Manchester Crown Court, grisly details of his alleged offences have emerged.
The actor - Kevin Webster in the ITV soap - allegedly told the girl: "It's OK, just keep calm, stay asleep ... I'm going to get rid of the evil."
The alleged victim claims she held her teddy bear while Michael - on trial under his real name of Michael Turner - held another over her mouth, and allegedly told her: "It's our little secret, no-one needs to know otherwise ... you'll die and the evil will come over you."
The 43-year-old actor's 12 charges are five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. All charges relate to one girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and she claims she was abused between the ages of six and 14 between September 2002 and September 2010.
Once a jury had been selected, Judge Michael Henshell warned them: "The man on trial is Michael Turner, not the character he plays."
Eleanor Laws QC was first to speak for the prosecution, telling the jury Michael was a "heavy drinker" and describing how "once the abuse began, it continued regularly" with the alleged victim "too frightened" to tell anyone about it.
Michael was initially arrested in 2011, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to proceed with the case. However, after a review of evidence he was re-arrested and charged in February this year.
Ms Laws told the jury what Michael had told the police, saying: "He denied each of the allegations she had made and said she was seriously deluded and that she was telling a pack of absolute lies, he was shocked and stunned by the allegations and didn't know why she was saying it."
Michael has been written out of the soap while the legal action takes place. The trial continues.
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