Ex-police inspector denies rape

A former police chief inspector molested a schoolgirl before raping her in his home, a court has heard.

The court heard John Walker, 55, of Hillmorton, Rugby, carried out the abuse during school holidays almost 20 years ago.

The retired Leics officer denies one rape and six indecent assault charges, but admits one indecent assault count.

Mr Walker is accused of sexually assaulting and raping the teenager shortly before her 16th birthday.

Prosecutor David Herbert told a jury at Leicester Crown Court that Mr Walker was friendly with the teenager's father and had been entrusted to look after her when she returned from school.

'Authority figure'

The lawyer said Mr Walker, who worked for Leics police for 20 years, was a "trusted authority figure", and his victim would often stay overnight at his home in a Leicestershire village.

Mr Herbert said: "Her father looked to John Walker to help look after her from time to time and help keep her on the straight and narrow.

"He was a senior police officer, plainly a figure of authority to any teenager."

The prosecutor said that Walker would sometimes play pornographic videos, or give the 15-year-old whisky before he indecently attacked her.

Mr Herbert told the court: "He would wait for his wife to go to bed and put pornographic material on for the girl to watch."

Family party

The girl, who is now in her early 30s, reported the abuse to police last year after reading that Mr Walker had been convicted of molesting another child.

The jury was told that in January 2004 Walker had admitted indecently assaulting a 12-year-old girl at a family party at his home.

He escaped a jail sentence because the judge accepted Mr Walker's mitigation that the assault was an isolated incident.

The trial continues.