Colne youth leader on girl sex charges (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Colne youth leader on girl sex charges

1:05pm Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter

A YOUTH leader allegedly had regular secret sex sessions with a schoolgirl who was totally besotted with him, a jury was told.

Married father-of-two John Duffy had intercourse with the girl in a house, his car and at the youth club where he was then a leader, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The court was also told he spent all night with her when his then wife had just had a baby and was in hospital.

Duffy was alleged to have told the girl they would get married and had shown her holiday brochures of where he said they would go.

She allowed him to have sex with her to try to win his love and took part in indecent acts because the defendant was said to have told her that’s what people who loved each other did.

The hearing was told how Duffy’s alleged sessions with the girl had become less frequent and then stopped when he seemed to lose interest in her.

The complainant, now in her early 30s and from the Pendle area, went to the police around last July and would say Duffy had ruined her life.

The defendant, now 50, of Skipton Road, Colne, denies 13 charges of indecent assault, one allegation of gross indecency with a child and eight counts of rape, said to have taken place between June 1989 and June 1994.

Alison Mather, prosecuting, told the court the defendant would kiss the girl on the cheek, stroke her hair and tell her how pretty she was and she liked the attention and the way it made her feel. His alleged behaviour towards her later became more intimate and ‘it stepped up a level’.

Miss Mather said: “He said he and the girl had a future, they were going to get married. He would show her holiday brochures of where they would go. She listened to him and believed him and thought he loved her. She loved him and was completely infatuated with him.”

The prosecutor alleged Duffy then progressed to touching the girl over her clothing and encouraging her to touch him.

Miss Mather said when the girl was a year older, Duffy allegedly told her to perform a sexual act on him. “He wanted to have sex. She wanted him to love her and she allowed it to happen to her.”

The pair were said to have had sex all night when Duffy’s wife had just given birth.

(Proceeding)