A WOMAN accused of having sex with a young boy told a court she was “tortured” by him and left black and blue.

Susan Cunningham said she was forced by the teenager to commit sex acts on him and she had never instigated any sexual activity.

But the 40-year-old, who is on trial at Teesside Crown Court , was accused of lying by prosecutor Aisha Wadoodi who said she had groomed the complainant for sex.

Ms Wadoodi said: “There you were grooming this young boy and you were having a sexual relationship with him.”

Ms Cunningham denied this and said she had never touched him.

The barrister also asked the defendant why she chose not to make a complaint about the teenager when she was asked by the police whether she wished to do so.

Ms Cunningham said: “Because I forgave him.”

The court heard how the defendant, who described herself as a strict Catholic, claimed to have got pregnant by the teenager and also, in later years, visited him when he went to jail.

Ms Cunningham said she did this because she wanted to see if he had changed.

Ms Wadoodi said: “None of this makes any sense because you are just lying aren’t you?”

The defendant replied: “I am not lying”.

Earlier Ms Cunningham told Rod Hunt, defending, that she was “getting tortured” by the complainant who has convictions for assault and robbery.

Describing the injuries she apparently suffered at his hands, she said: “I was always black and blue.”

Mr Hunt asked: “Did you ever instigate sexual activity [with him]?”

“No," she replied.

The prosecution say Ms Cunningham, of Dovecote Street, Stockton, abused the teenager – now an adult - over a two year period in Darlington.

She is said to have invited him to her home and also bought him trainers, CDs and computer games.

The defence case is that the alleged victim effectively raped the defendant and was violent and out of control, forcing her to submit to his wishes.

Ms Cunningham denies sexual activity with a child and 12 counts of indecent assault. The trial continues.