Gareth Ward sexually touched and pressed his groin against young man, jury hears

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NSW MP Gareth Ward allegedly sexually touched and restrained a teenage man during an unwanted massage where the politician allegedly pressed his groin against the younger man's buttocks, a jury has heard.
Mr Ward has pleaded not guilty to four charges, including indecent assault against the then-18-year-old man in 2013, when Mr Ward was 31.
He has also pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexual intercourse without consent against a second complainant in 2015, when the man was 24.
The second complainant told the NSW District Court yesterday that he believed his association with the MP had grown to "friendship" and he was a "mate".
On the evening of February 8, 2013, when the assault is alleged to have taken place, the man was feeling low following an issue with his girlfriend at a party.
The court heard Mr Ward called him, expressed concern, and offered to pay for a taxi to his home in Meroo Meadow.
Continuing his evidence on Wednesday, he told the jury the pair were alone at the house when he laid down on the back lawn and pretended to be passed out as a prank.
The man said Mr Ward shook him "a little" and said his name, trying to wake him, as he lay pretending to be passed out.
"I was thinking the prank is going well — it's just about over — I was about to say 'gotcha' … and he put his right hand down my pants," the complainant told the court.
"I just felt his hand go onto my buttocks and I basically froze … I literally had no idea what to do or how to handle it.
He said then opened his eyes and winced because he could not understand what was happening but said he felt "shrivelled up inside" and that it was "the most awkward feeling ever".
The court heard Mr Ward then moved his hand towards the front of the man's shorts, making brief contact with his upper thigh and genitals.
The complainant said he was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, but not any underpants that night, which he said may have been because his shorts had internal mesh or he had not done any washing.
He said what stuck with him was the sensation of Mr Ward's touch, "the feeling of his skin on my skin", and that "he was breathing heavily,".
The man said he stood up, said he wanted to go to sleep and walked inside.
When they entered the house, he said the MP put his hands on his shoulders and insisted he was "too drunk to sleep alone".
He said he felt unable to refuse because admitting he was not that drunk would mean confronting what had just happened outside.
While in the bedroom, the complainant alleged Mr Ward straddled him on the bed, sat on his buttocks, with his groin pressing against him, and massaged his lower back.
"So, I kind of froze again, and after not too long, I told him to stop. I said, 'I am going to sleep, stop that,' he told the court.
The complainant told the court he weighed about 60 kilograms at the time, and Mr Ward was bigger.
"He was heavy to move, I couldn't stop him," he said.
The complainant told the court he eventually convinced Mr Ward to stop, fell asleep, left the MP's house the next morning and put the incident aside.
As he continued to give evidence, the Crown asked why he stayed in touch with Mr Ward after the alleged incidents.
The complainant said he believed maintaining the friendship was socially and professionally valuable.
He has also been asked to explain drug use at the time, including cocaine and speed, and said it helped him with productivity.
The complainant is continuing to give evidence.
The trial continues in its fifth week, with today the 17th day of proceedings.
The jury has been told the case, originally set down for four weeks, is expected to run for another two weeks.