TWO men plied underage teenage girls with alcohol and cannabis to sexually exploit them during months of abuse, a court heard.

Colin Trotman and Reynold Dyett travelled from London to Southend to prey on teenage girls, Essex’s first child sexual exploitation prosecution has told.

Trotman, 46, of Wetherell Road, Hackney, and Dyett, 55, of Elderfield Road, Clapton, appeared in Basildon Crown Court yesterday to begin a trial which is expected to last up to four weeks.

The jury was told the men cruised around Southend in Trotman’s eyecatching green BMW convertible to pick up four young and vulnerable teenage girls, before intoxicating them and forcing them to commit sexual acts. The victims were all under the age of 16, with the youngest girl aged 13.

The court heard, Trotman and Dyett would build trust with the girls by buying them bottles of vodka from Booze Up in London Road, Westcliff, before driving to car parks by Southend’s Sea Life Centre and Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Shoebury, where they would be abused.

Julia Faure-Walker, prosecuting, said Trotman instigated the exploitation by befriending a 15-year-old girl.

On their first day of meeting, which is believed to have been on July 1, 2012, they had sex on the seafront near Southend’s Sea Life Centre, Ms Faure- Walker said.

She was introduced to Dyett and then introduced the pair to other teenage girls, she said.

Ms Faure-Walker added: “Neither Trotman or Dyett revealed their ages to her.

“Colin it seems was not interested in having sex with her, but rather he would encourage her to bring a friend or two when they met. The girls would get drunk on vodka bought by the defendants. Trotman and Dyett would not consume alcohol themselves. Sometimes cannabis featured.

“The men would encourage sexual activity. Other times Trotman would force girls to have sex with him.

“Despite what I have said, it’s clear Trotman convinced her he was a nice person. She felt he looked after her when she was with him, ensuring she didn’t get too drunk.”

The men deny 12 charges between them, with Trotman facing three counts of rape, two counts of sex with a child and one count of conspiracy to meet a child.

Dyett faces four charges of sexual activity with two separate children, one charge of sexual assault and one charge of conspiracy to meet a child following sexual grooming.

The trial continues

Girl claims she was hounded

ONE of Reynold Dyett’s alleged victims said she was hounded by Colin Trotman who wouldn’t stop calling her.

The court heard the girl, who was aged 13 at the time, was touched sexually by Dyett and given Smirnoff Ice vodka by him after meeting the men with her sister and another girl.

She said she had already shared a bottle of wine and a bottle of Courvoisier with her friend when she met the pair near the Kursaal.

Trotman was behind the wheel and she said Dyett told her to sit on his knee in the car, but she declined and her sister told him not to speak to her like that.

It is alleged that evening Dyett made sexual advances to her.

In the witness box yesterday, the girl said: “We all said we were older than we were. I was quite worried.

I have encountered some really hard stuff in my life and I find it hard to communicate with people and if people have their arm near me, I flinch. I had my hand over his to stop him just in case.”

In a video interview played to the court, the girl said another of the victims had passed on her number to Trotman. She said: “He was calling me all the time.

He wanted to know my birthday so he could by me presents and take me shopping.

“I just ignored him. I made excuses and I said I had to go because my sister was calling.”

She later blocked his number.

Dyett denies sexually touching.

The trial continues