A former teacher in a Co Tipperary secondary school has gone on trial on eight counts of alleged indecent assault against a student over 30 years ago.
The teacher denies the eight charges which relate to allegations of indecent assault between September of 1981 and March of 1982.
Seven of the charges relate to alleged incidents at Rockwell College near Cashel in Co Tipperary and the other relates to an allegation of indecent assault in an area close to the complainant's home on 26 December 1981.
A jury was sworn in at Clonmel Circuit Court this morning to hear the case, which is expected to last four days.
David Humphreys BL, prosecuting, said the accused was a teacher at the time and the complainant was a student at the college.
Within weeks of entering the school, Mr Humphreys said, the complainant started to be abused by the teacher.
The incidents began with ingratiation and moved to touching of the complainant, according to the State.
They started in the school's organ loft and later took place in the accused's room in the college.
Incidents before and after Christmas of 1981 were described as rape by the complainant, Mr Humphreys said, while an incident on St Stephen's Day of 1981 took place after the accused visited the complainant at his home and the complainant was encouraged by his parents to show the accused some of the local beauty spots, as he was "a keen photographer".
A complaint was made by the alleged injured party to gardaí who investigated the allegations.
