TEEN GIRL WHO ACCUSED TEACHER OF SEX ASSAULT FACES GRUELLING CROSS-EXAMINATION IN COURT
Johnathan Morgan, 35, who was working as a teacher at a primary school in the St Mellons area of Cardiff, is accused of "taking a shine" to the girl.A trial at Cardiff Crown Court heard the defendant began messaging the girl in 2023 over email via his school email address.
The pair later added each other on social media.
He was said to have boasted to her that he knew celebrities, famous snooker players, including Ronnie O'Sullivan who he said he was friends with, and footballers.
Morgan also bragged about being in a band, having been on the news, being a famous runner in America, and being a part of Newport County AFC.
Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett told the court the defendant was putting pressure on her to send him photos of herself.
She then used a photoshopping feature on Snapchat to send a bikini photo which wasn't actually her to try and keep him happy, the court heard.
When he realised they weren't real photos of her he put pressure on her to send genuine photos, Mr Bennett said, adding she eventually gave in after he pestered her and demanded more.
Mr Bennett explained how Morgan also sent her inappropriate photos of himself, including of his penis which he then tried to say had been a mistake.
Mr Bennett also added how he sent photos and videos in the bath and on the sofa of him performing sexual acts on himself.
In a police interview with the girl, which was played to the court on Monday, she described an incident where he allegedly shut her in a room and sexually assaulted her.
She told the interviewing police officer: "I felt like I couldn't speak but he could tell I didn't want him to do it, 100%, because I was shaking.
He turned me by my waist and was rubbing his boner on the back of me and that's when I told him to stop and he didn't.
"He didn't care what I was saying, he just cared that he was getting pleasure out of it.
He grabbed my hand and told me to feel him." While being cross examined at the trial on Tuesday by defence barrister Mark Kelly, the complainant denied she was "fascinated" by Morgan but agreed that she thought he was a "pretty cool guy".
Mr Kelly said: "And you became quite smitten by him, you began to like him and feel affectionate towards him.
Would you agree?" The complainant said: "No." Mr Kelly said: "Were you keen to grab his attention?" The complainant said: "No." The prosecutor said: "Did he appear flattered by you?" The complainant said: "I wouldn’t say flattered, no." When asked if she was "intrigued" by Morgan being an older man, the complainant denied this.
Mr Kelly said: "Did you have a particular fascination with older men?" The complainant said: "No." The prosecutor said: "Has the idea of a young woman with an older man in a relationship something you see as a hot topic?" The complainant said: "Definitely not." Mr Kelly said: "It’s not some kind of obsession of yours?" The complainant said: "No." She was also asked about her screenshotting messages and images between her and Morgan on Snapchat, and what her intention was with the messages.
Mr Kelly said: "You were holding these images to use against him." The complainant said: "No, for my protection." Mr Kelly said: "You’re using them against him now." The complainant said: "No, for my protection." The prosecutor added: "You were dragging him deeper and deeper into the mire weren’t you?" The complainant said: "It wasn’t like that." Mr Kelly said: "At any given moment, you could have stopped this but you chose to record the messages." The complainant said: "I disagree." Mr Kelly said: "Did you choose the nuclear option, by alleging he had sexually assaulted you?" The complainant said: "He did." The prosecutor said: "Have you made false allegations against him in relation to what happened?" The complainant said: "No." Concluding his cross examination, Mr Kelly put it to the girl that there was "no sexual touching" between her and Morgan.
She said: "I disagree." Mr Kelly said: "He did not invite you to touch him in the area of his penis.
That did not happen." The complainant said: "It did happen." Morgan, of Conway Road, Newport, has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, causing a person to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act by a person in a position of trust, causing a child to watch a person in a sexual act for the purpose of engaging in sexual gratification, and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
The trial continues.
