A TRIAL date has been set for a man accused of pretending to work for a clothing retailer looking for models to get nude photographs from girls.
Barney Heffernan, 31, has denied the two counts of fraud in which it is alleged he pretended to be a female called Katie working for Shein, an online clothing brand, recruiting models.
Oxford Crown Court heard on Thursday (January 4) that Heffernan had allegedly asked two young girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, for nude photographs on August 30 and October 8 last year under the pretence of looking for models.
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He is also charged with two counts of blackmail after allegedly ‘demanding’ photographs from both girls as well as one count of making an indecent photograph of a child, a Category C moving image.
A final charge is one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity after allegedly asking one girl to touch her breasts naked over webcam.
Heffernan, of St Brides Road, Little Haven, Haverfordwest, denied all counts, which occurred in Thame, during a plea and trial preparation hearing on Thursday.
He is now due to stand trial later this year at the same court on November 11.
His defence is expected to be that the offences may have happened but it was not him.
The 31-year-old has been granted conditional bail during this time.
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