Trevor Scroop stands trial accused of more than 40 offences against children

A court has heard a man charged with more than 40 offences against children was able to gain access to his alleged victims through his personal connections to First Nations communities and his employment as a camera operator.

Former ABC employee Trevor James Scroop is standing trial in South Australia's District Court after pleading not guilty to charges including sexual abuse of a child.

It is alleged the 65-year-old physically and sexually abused dozens of young boys from Adelaide and remote parts of the Northern Territory while they were in his care.

The trial heard Mr Scroop, who was married to a First Nations woman, was trusted by parents in the Northern Territory to take their children for trips to Adelaide and was recognised as an "initiated man" within one particular community.

It also heard the former cameraman interacted with young boys while working at SANFL matches, and would take one alleged victim to the ABC's Collinswood office while he was staying with him.

Prosecutor Paul Tate told the court there were 30 known alleged victims, who were aged between 5 and 16 at the time of the alleged offending.