Former NSW Labor minister Milton Orkopoulos has admitted living "a lie" and keeping much of his private life secret from his family and others.
The former Aboriginal affairs minister gave evidence for the first time at his trial at the NSW District Court in Newcastle on child sex and drugs offences dating back to 1995.
He had been facing 34 charges, but when proceedings opened the judge directed the jury to find Orkopoulos not guilty of three child sex charges.
Two of the counts related to one boy and alleged acts between 1995 and 1996, while the third count related to a second boy and acts that allegedly occurred between 1997 and 1999.
The jury formally delivered the not guilty verdicts before Orkopoulos, 50, took the stand in his defence.
Under cross-examination by crown prosecutor Helen Wilson, Orkopoulos admitted living a private life which contrasted with his public image.
Orkopoulos admitted having a sexual relationship with his second victim and smoking cannabis with him, but insisted the youth had been over 18 at the time.
He also admitted supplying cannabis to another youth and once trying amphetamine, contradicting initial evidence he gave that he had never ever had the drug.
Orkopoulos was initially reluctant to agree he had led a life of lies but was forced to concede, as cross-examination wore on, that he had kept much of his life secret from his wife and others.
"You (were) publicly being one of our state's lawmakers (while) in private being a law-breaker," Ms Wilson said.
"If you put it that way, yes," Orkopoulos responded.
Ms Wilson continued, "There's quite a lot of matters in your life between 1995 and 2006 in which you lived a lie."
"Yes," the MP replied.
At the outset of his trial Orkopoulos pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography, relating to a short story involving two young boys and an adult male having sex.
On Thursday, he admitted he had been in parliament in late 2004 when amendments were made to the very laws under which he was charged over the story, and had voted in favour of increasing the penalty.
Orkopoulos agreed he had been in possession of the story and had found it on an internet site, but said he had not noticed the website address when sourcing the story.
Sweating visibly as he was questioned, he denied having an interest in young boys, replying "No" as Ms Wilson ran through the years between 1995 and 2006.
The former member for Swansea dropped his gaze and paused momentarily before telling the court he had formed a sexual relationship with the second alleged victim and had kept it a secret.
"I was conscious of the impact that it would have on my marriage and also the ultimate impact that it would have on my political career, which obviously it has," he said.
"Things happen. I developed a consensual relationship and things happened ... things happen in life over which you sometimes have no control."
His evidence continues.