AN employee at a children’s home in Oxford has been accused of sexually assaulting a young girl while taking her out on trips.

Duncan Stevenson, who was employed at a children’s home in Oxford in 2018, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault against a teenage girl.

The 67-year-old is accused of slapping the girl on her bottom as well as stroking her inner thigh on two different occasions – both allegedly took place on trips away from the home.

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Stevenson, of Butlers Close, Aston le Walls, has denied the offences and is now on trial at Oxford Crown Court.

Opening the case on Monday (August 12), prosecuting barrister David Tremain said: “There are two assaults on two dates, they are different to each other.

“The first involved touching the complainant’s bottom over clothing, the second involved rubbing the complainant’s thigh.

“At that time the complainant was 16, she was living [at] a children’s home in Oxford. Duncan Stevenson was employed [at a different home] but it was run by the same company.

“There was some overlap and sharing of staff for joint activities.”

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He told the jury that Stevenson would ‘visit’ the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and take her and a friend out on trips away from the home.

“He would visit [her] and he would ask to take [her] and her friend out for the day,” said Mr Tremain. “Staff said he took a special interest in her and would take flowers to her on her birthday.

“On one occasion they were on the way to a show and [the girl] was in the car when they got to the car park and the different opened the door and slapped her hard on the bottom.

“It was on slap with one hand on the upper part of her bottom. She was shocked but never said anything ad the day continued.

“There was another occasion at [a show] and…the defendant went to high her and as he was hugging her his hands moved down from her shoulders and touched her on the upper thigh and she described that it was a stroking motion.

“She didn’t report that at the time.”

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The jury heard that the girl the told a support worker in February 2023 about the alleged incidents. The support worker then reported Duncan to the police.

In April that year, the girl was interviewed by the police which was video recorded.

The trial, which is expected to last two to three days, continues.