A Wanganui man has denied sneaking into his teenage daughter's room to touch her chest.
The 47-year-old man, who has name suppression, yesterday pleaded not guilty in the Whanganui District Court to four charges of performing indecent acts on a young person.
In opening, Crown prosecutor Lance Rowe said the man's offending came out of loneliness and alcohol consumption. On at least four occasions the accused entered his 15-year-old daughter's room to "feel her up".
Mr Rowe said that in the first incident the victim was woken by her father standing over her and trying to pull the blankets off her, pressing her shoulder down, but that she resisted and pushed him away. Three further incidents were described by Mr Rowe where the accused made lewd comments to his daughter and groped her before she pushed him away. In another incident, the accused removed the blanket from the victim and found his 5-year-old daughter in the bed with her, and told them both to go back to sleep.
Mr Rowe told the jury of six men and six women it was hard enough for someone to explain such events to strangers, let alone when it was about their father, and to bear that in mind when assessing the victim's evidence.
"The real issue here is did these things happen, and what do you make of her and her credibility - what you make of her is central to the decision you make," Mr Rowe said.
The now 22-year-old victim's testimony, which cannot be reported, went into the afternoon and will resume this morning. Defence counsel Debbie Goodlet is expected to call at least one witness.
The trial is set down for three days.