A 64-year-old man from Plymouth has rejected claims that he sexually assaulted a teenage girl over two decades ago.
Kenneth Harper is accused of carrying out the assault in Oxford sometime between 2003 and 2005.
The defendant denied a charge of indecent assault covering the period from April 2003 to April 2004.
He also entered pleas of not guilty to a charge of assault by penetration relating to May 2004 through to April 2005.
The court was informed that both charges concern the same incident and merely carry different labels because of legislative amendments introduced around that period.
Elaine Freer, representing the prosecution, presented the case to jurors at Oxford Crown Court on September 17.
According to Ms Freer, the victim reported the matter to authorities several years afterward, after discovering that Harper had previously been convicted of sexually assaulting another girl.
Jurors heard that the complainant could not pinpoint with certainty when the alleged attack occurred.
The court was told the claim involves an allegation that the complainant awoke to discover Harper sexually assaulting her.
Ms Freer informed the jury that the accusations were brought to police attention in 2025.
The prosecution barrister stated that the defence position maintains the incident never took place, arguing the complainant was capitalising on the earlier conviction.
The crown contended that the prior conviction demonstrated Harper’s propensity to sexually assault girls of that age during that period, asserting this was not mere chance.
Harper denied the offences, stating he was struggling with alcoholism at the time, which resulted in poor judgement.
He remembered being called a pervert by someone in the street around that period but believed this referred to the separate conviction.
Jurors subsequently viewed a recorded interview conducted with the complainant in February 2025.
The woman stated that Harper would encounter them at the park and provide cigarettes during periods when they were absent from school.
She described him as somewhat unsettling, indicating she felt awkward in his presence and considered him rather odd, which left her feeling uneasy.
She noted that he remained silent during the incident, behaving as though nothing had occurred.
She was frightened and simply continued with her daily life, effectively suppressing the memory.
The trial remains in progress.