Reading teen on trial charged with sexual activity with child

Alfie Boyd, 19, of The Street, Englefield, has denied two counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl and one count of penetrative sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl.

Reading Crown Court heard on Wednesday (May 10) that the first two alleged offences happened on March 26, 2022, and the third alleged offence happened on April 2, 2022.

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Today (May 11), the trial continued with prosecutor Jollyon Robertson and an officer reading out texts between the defendant and the girl, who could not be named for legal reasons, and a police transcript with Boyd.

The teen was interviewed at Loddon Valley Police Station where her told police he though the girl was ‘his age’.

He told police: “I thought she looked just the same age as me. I can’t really tell someone’s age. I thought someone at work was 32 but he was 52 you know?

“Genuinely I thought she was about the same age as me obviously, I don’t know.”

When asked why he thought she was the same age, he said: “I don’t really know. For her to be a reasonable, same height and the way she acted and she did act pretty mature for her age [sic].

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“The way she looked physically and the way she behaved…she wasn’t saying anything I wasn’t [sic].”

Text exchanges were read out between the pair when Boyd called the girl ‘princess’ and she responded ‘my king’.

Boyd told police he gave everyone nicknames and that the messages didn’t mean the two were in a ‘relationship.

He told police: “I did say to her she was pretty. I did [tell her I love her] but I tell that to everyone. I tell everyone I love them because life is short.

“I let them know I care, it’s not like ‘Okay I love you let’s get married’. I called her princess every so often.

“I like making people feel happy. I give everyone nicknames here and there. I can’t really remember any nicknames she gave me.”

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When asked by police how he thought the girl perceived the messages from him, he said: “I don’t know. I didn’t really think. It was not my place to ask her how she felt about me.”

The trial continues.