Testimony began in Utica Tuesday in the case of Donald Hughes, the former correction officer accused of sexually abusing two girls younger than 11. Several witnesses took the stand, including the alleged victims. Our Sarah Blazonis has details from Oneida County Court.

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

UTICA, N.Y. -- "You've been in my life all these years, you can't be one of them. You wouldn't do that to my baby, you wouldn't do that to my baby," said the mother of one of Donald Hughes's alleged victims in a recorded phone conversation.

"I would never hurt those girls," Hughes responded.

It was an emotional day in Oneida County Court as testimony began in the trial of Donald Hughes.

In recorded conversations with one of his alleged victim's mothers and investigators, Hughes denies intentionally sexually touching either of the young girls he's accused of molesting. He admits he may have touched the girls inappropriately during horseplay at the home he and their families lived in, but says it was purely accidental.

"They'll move, I'll move, whatever the case may be, and it goes there. I'm sorry. But no, as far as groping or anything like that, no," Hughes said in one conversation.

Relatives of Hughes's accusers wept as the girls, now 10 and 12, described to jurors the sexual abuse they say they suffered by Hughes.

The older girl told jurors Hughes fondled her chest on multiple occasions, outside and underneath her clothes, beginning in 2009 when she was ten. She said she decided to come forward when her cousin told her she was also abused by Hughes.

The younger girl described instances of Hughes touching her chest, fondling her genitals and attempting to make her perform oral sex on him.

Hughes faces several charges, including four counts of first degree sexual abuse.

Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday morning.