After being cross-examined for hours by a lawyer for a man accused of sexually assaulting her, a woman who alleges she was sexually exploited as a teenager broke down in tears.

"This feels like being assaulted again," the woman said, crying as she sat in a witness box in Edmonton's Court of King's Bench. "I am answering the questions to the best of my ability."

Patrick Charles Howarth, 50, is on trial for one count each of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of the woman, whose identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban. He has pleaded not guilty to both counts.

The woman is now 33 — the same age Howarth was when they began their relationship in 2006 while both were working as actors in a play at the Citadel Theatre.

The woman has testified that Howarth was also helping the cast with fighting skills.

At the time, she was 16 years old and a Grade 11 student.

In 2006, the age a person could consent to sexual activity in Canada was 14. However, a person under 18 isn't able to consent to sex with someone who is in a position of trust over them.

Called as the first witness for the prosecution, the woman testified Monday that Howarth showed a special interest in her while they worked on the production.

She alleges the relationship turned sexual and lasted even after the Citadel production wrapped up. She testified Howarth mentored her and made her believe he could have an impact on her career.

Defence lawyer Nicole Stewart began cross-examining the woman on Monday and carried on for much of the day Tuesday, her wide-ranging questioning probing the timeline of the relationship and what led up to the woman reporting Howarth to police – first in 2009 when no charges were laid, and then again in 2021.

Stewart questioned the woman about how angry she was with Howarth after their relationship ended, and pointed to confrontations they'd had about his new partners.

Stewart suggested that the reason the woman decided to go to police with her allegations again in 2021 was because she'd seen a news story about his success.

The woman rejected that explanation.

"I don't care enough about Mr. Howarth to want this to be about revenge. I want justice for myself and I want to protect other people from going through what I went through," she testified.

She said becoming a mother and working as a teacher has changed her perspective.

Stewart put it to the woman that in the early weeks of working together on the play, both she and Howarth were flirting, touching and leaning on each other and were regularly seeking each other out.

The woman agreed that she was flirting with Howarth, but said now, as a 33 year old herself, she sees how problematic the situation was.

"I'd like to think that if a 16-year-old leaned against me today I'd have the sense to push them away," she said.

She added that after their relationship turned sexual, Howarth repeatedly made comments about how he could go to jail and joked about his age.