Telford store worker denies having sex with girl
A 30-year-old father-of-five from Telford told police he did not have a sexual relationship with a girl, a court heard.
Supermarket worker Simon Jones is accused of raping and sexually assaulting the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, between August 2011 and July 2012.
He denies the nine allegations against him.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard the girl told officers Jones, who was 28 at the time, had sex with her three times over that period.
But during interviews with police read out in court yesterday, Jones, of Crescent Road, Hadley, denied the allegations.
The jury had earlier been given a list of agreed facts in the case which included extensive phone and social media contact between Jones and the girl. She told him on several occasions she loved him.
Jones admitted he would meet the girl, who was under 16, up to three times a week. CCTV cameras caught the pair on the bus together and in a supermarket.
Jones admitted to police his partner of 12 years had told him to stay away from the girl and was concerned about their relationship, but said although he continued to see her, nothing untoward had happened.
Mr Anthony Potter, prosecuting, said earlier that although Jones faced nine allegations, the prosecution was not asking the jury to convict him on all counts.
He said some of the charges related to the same allegations and had been laid by the prosecution as alternative charges.
He said Jones was accused of sexually assaulting the girl or alternatively engaging in sexual activity with her, two counts of raping or alternatively sexually assaulting the girl and engaging in sexual activity with her, sexually assaulting her and also meeting the girl following sexual grooming.
The trial continues.
