Telford school football coach denies claims over sexual offences
A football coach from Telford who is accused of inciting sexual activity with children has told jurors that there was no truth in the claims against him.
Joe Hall, 26, of Brands Farm Way, Randlay, is on trial for multiple charges of inciting sexual activity with children between 13 and 17 in his charge between January 2014 and March 2017.
Hall held a supervisory role at a school due to his part-time job with a private sports company and volunteered with a dance team.
He denied showing inappropriate images to schoolgirls and exposing himself to a girl. He also denied telling a girl in a message she was “hot” and asking another if she was still a virgin.
Defending barrister Mr Simon Mintz said to Hall: “We have heard the evidence. She says that you asked her to trade sex pictures.”
Hall replied: “No. No way. Never. Or asked her if she was alone. I don’t accept any of their allegations.”
The case so far:
But he admitted that he sent one girl a picture of himself dressed only in his boxer shorts and told the court that he had sent the same picture to a number of his friends as a joke.
He told the jury at Shrewsbury Crown Court that he had “half the school” on his Snapchat and Instagram contact lists to promote his holiday club courses.
He also said that he had not been advised on his safeguarding training course not to contact young people in his care by social media.
Mr Mintz asked him: “A number of teenage girls have been saying the same thing, that you pestered them and showed them sexual images. Is there any truth in that?”
Hall replied: “Definitely not.”
He denies a total of eight counts relating to alleged activity over mobile phones, including sending and requesting sexual pictures and videos.
Hall is accused of indecent exposure and of inciting a child to sexual activity with one alleged victim and showing two others under 16 a video of a sexual act.
He is also accused of sending photos and text containing sexual references, and inciting children to engage in sexual activity.
There is also one charge of possessing extreme pornographic images.The offences are said to have been committed while he was in a position of responsibility for the youngsters concerned.
Hall was arrested on March 1, 2017 after the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, reported the alleged offences to a teacher.
The trial continues.
