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Court hears child sex abuse allegations against former Chabad teacher

Daniel Golomb, 46, faces 14 counts of indecent assault against four different boys aged between five and 12

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A former Chabad Lubavitch teacher penetrated a young boy with his finger, a court has heard, in a case of historic child sexual abuse in Manchester’s Charedi community.

Daniel Golomb, 46, faces 14 counts of indecent assault against four different boys aged between five and 12 years old, over the period 1992 to 1997.

The charges relate to wiping the boys in intimate areas, penetrating them with a finger; pressing his genitals against one of them; and touching the genitals of another.

His trial at Manchester Crown Court began on Monday.

One alleged victim, now aged 32, told the jury that Mr Golomb penetrated him with his finger – first with soap and then without – on a series of occasions.

In an interview filmed in 2016, which was played to the court, the witness claimed that Mr Golomb washed him in an intimate area, explaining he needed to “be clean for prayer, for learning”.

He said: “I was seven or eight. I just used to bend over and he used to clean me.

“He used to take soap on his finger and put it up. A few times I went to the toilet and it was hurting. I said ‘Stop, it’s hurting’. Then he did it without the soap.

“He probably did it five or six times [with soap]. Then a few times without the soap.”

Giving evidence from behind a screen, the victim told the jury that it was only after getting married he “realised it was wrong”.

The court also heard Mr Golomb, who now lives in Stamford Hill, North London, engaged in play-fighting – which he termed “the tickling game”.

It involved pinning the boy down and, on occasion, “dribbling into my mouth”.

Two other alleged victims gave evidence earlier in the trial, with a fourth due to appear in court on Friday.

The defence counsel is expected to present its case next week.

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