I thought girl was 16, footballer tells court

Photo: Darren Robinson

Jack Tuohy

A YOUNG footballer accused of grooming an under-age girl for sex, broke down in front of a trial jury, as he relived how his world had turned upside down when he was arrested and locked up in police cells.

Former Oldham Athletic midfielder Jack Tuohy, 20, has accepted that he met the then 14-year-old and drove her to a secluded spot where sex acts took place, but he insists he believed she was 16.

Tuohy lied to officers when confronted with allegations made by the girl, saying at first there had been no sexual contact between them, then saying they had simply kissed.

He eventually admitted that what she had told police was right: she had given him oral sex, and he had sexually assaulted her.

At Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, Tuohy admitted after several months of messaging and chatting to her on social media, he arranged to meet the youngster on a Saturday night in October two years ago, because he had just had a major fall-out with his girlfriend. Asked by Paul Hodgkinson, defending, what he had thought would happen, he replied: "I thought maybe something sexual would happen between me and her."

Mr Hodgkinson added: "Would you ever have gone to meet her if you didn't think she was 16?". Tuohy said: "No. I knew it was against the law."

Ben Jones prosecuting, put it to him under cross examination: "You accept you told the police some lies. You wanted them to believe the girl was the liar?". Tuohy: "No."

Mr Jones: "You accept that most of what she said was true?" Tuohy: "Not all of it. She never told me she was 14."

Tuohy of Arthur Street, Shaw, pleads not guilty to five charges: meeting a child following sexual grooming, two counts of sexual activity with a child, and two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Proceeding.