Married man is accused of indecent assault against schoolgirl (From Warrington Guardian)

Married man is accused of indecent assault against schoolgirl

A MARRIED Crewe man claiming to scout for a modelling agency lured a schoolgirl from a swimming pool before indecently assaulting her, a court heard.

James Christopher Shiner, 39, of Stoneley Avenue, denies attacking the 14-year-old outside Crewe's Municipal Baths in Flag Lane in August.

Shiner also denies all aspects of the girl's account at Chester Crown Court on Monday, including claims he had connections with a modelling agency.

The court heard how Shiner began talking to the girl, who cannot be named, on the pool's balcony as she watched her three friends swim.

He then asked her if she smoked and offered her a cigarette outside the baths and the pair left.

Once outside, the girl claims Shiner told her how pretty she was and said he worked for a modelling agency owned by his solicitor friend who wanted it to remain discreet.

He told her he would give her £30 if she met him a couple of days later at Nantwich Swimming Baths to talk about modelling.

She alleges that he moved from an area known as 'the rocks' towards a bridge and she went with him but became intimidated and uncomfortable and went to leave.

At that point she said he grabbed her and assaulted her for about 10 minutes.

Giving evidence via video, she said: "He grabbed me by my sides towards the side of the bridge. I was scared. I was saying "get off".

"Later when he was assaulting me, I was hitting him."

Proscuting, Simon Medland, said: "She went straight back into the swimming baths where her friends were and told them what had happened.

"She was desperately upset, they'd never seen her cry like that.

"Mr Shiner then went back into the swimming baths to pretend nothing had happened."

Cross-examining the girl, defence barrister Gerald Bermingham, said: "I'm suggesting that, one, you didn't go to the bridge, two, he didn't hold you by the waist, by the arm, and three, he didn't put his hand under you skirt. That didn't happen."

The jury was out deciding its verdict as the Guardian went to press.