The former Nantwich care home worker at the centre of child sex abuse allegations claims he never abused or assaulted anybody.

Gordon Rozario, aged 52, is accused of seven counts of indecent assault against two boys who were in his care at St Joseph's Community Home, Nantwich, in the mid-1970s.

Rozario was called to the witness stand at Chester Crown Court this week. He denied the attacks had ever occurred.

The two complainants, aged 12 and 15 at the time, say that Rozario would make night-time visits to their rooms in a residential unit of St Joseph's and indecently assault them.

Rozario said of the allegations: "They are just not true. They could not have happened. I never abused or assaulted anybody.

"These boys were in a unit with 22 other kids in it. Nothing could happen there that the other kids wouldn't know about."

The court heard how Rozario, now of Ossett, West Yorkshire, had been involved in the child-care industry for more than 25 years.

A graduate with two child-care degrees, the court heard how Rozario had also been a foster father to a number of children with his wife of 19 years, who has supported him throughout the trial.

Rozario created his own successful child-care company, Family Support Services, but had decided to resign as director when the abuse allegations were made in 2001.

He said: "The company employs about 300 people and I couldn't afford to put their jobs at risk."

In response to the specific indecent assault allegations of the 12-year-old, Rozario said: "I wouldn't let him touch me with a barge pole. He was a boy."

He said of an allegation of an indecent assault at a Crewe cinema: "I can't ever remember going to a cinema in Crewe. Even now, I very seldom go to the cinema."

In response to the allegation by the 15-year-old of buggery, at Rozario's mother's home in an upstairs bedroom, he said: "It's totally fake. There is no bedroom he says he was in.

"I can't believe he (the complainant) believes my mother would give her bed up for him. She wouldn't even give her bed up for me."

Defence barrister Peter Buckley asked Rozario why he thought the two men were now making the claims.

Rozario said: "I've been trying to think for the past 18 months why they would want to do this.
"I think [in one complainant's case] he's a professional compensation claimant.
"He's not just made these allegations about me, and I can't think of any other logical reason why either would want to do this."