A youngster revealed his alleged abuse by a teacher so other pupils would not have to suffer, a court was told.

The boy told Hove Crown Court that primary teacher Peter Shotton would use the pretext of reading him a story to sexually assault him.

Shotton is accused of 11 charges of indecently assaulting and committing acts of gross indecency with three boys.

He used to be known by parents with children at Bewbush Community Primary School in Crawley as "the gentle giant", the court was told yesterday.

But a young boy told the court via a video link the teacher would regularly lead him out of assembly and molest him in a changing room.

The jury heard the abuse began when Shotton, 55, of The Twitten, Albourne, near Hurstpierpoint, started taking the boy aside to read him stories. He claimed the abuse continued about twice a week for more than a year.

The boy said: "I don't want any other kid having to keep this in, get all upset and perhaps ruin his education."

Shotton, who is married with three grown-up children, was arrested first in December 2005 and then again in May last year after one of the victims, whose mother gave evidence yesterday, told his parents he had been indecently assaulted by the teacher.

A second boy came forward after reading about the accusation in the newspaper.

Crying repeatedly during the interview, he said: "He wanted to read me a book and we'd go in the PE changing rooms.

"He started touching me up and stuff. It kept going on for ages and I was too scared to say anything."

His mother told the court Shotton came across as "a caring teacher". He was known as "the gentle giant".

Shotton denies committing any of the acts - alleged to have occurred between 1995 and 2005.

Defending, Philip Meredith described the witness as "a naughty boy" with behavioural problems and said: "I have to suggest to you that Mr Shotton did not behave in the way you have accused him of."

The boy replied: "He did. Why am I going to lie about something like this? He done it."

A third pupil alleges Shotton committed similar acts with him in 1995 and 1996.

The trial continues.