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| Isleworth Crown Court |
Joseph Francis, 77, of 22 Stearns Close always denied the charges, which are alleged to have occurred at his former address in Oldham Road, Hammersmith.
An Isleworth Crown Court jury failed to reach verdicts on all counts and now the Crown Prosecution Service have decided not pursue the case, resulting in Francis's acquittal.
“He came into her bedroom, pushing the wardrobe towards the door,” prosecutor Mr. Timothy Nail told the original trial.
“Before this there was a period of what we now call 'grooming' when he made inappropriate advances while telling her how much he cared for her.”
The 14 yer-old fell pregnant as a result and had an abortion just days after her fifteenth birthday in 1973.
“The first time it happened was on the floor. He held her down and told her to open her legs and that continued sometimes two or three times a week,” explained Mr. Nail.
“It became repetitive and familiar to her. She says she tried to stop him, but if she was physical he would beat her and become more physical.”
A complaint was made at the time of the alleged offences, but Francis was never charged.
He was arrested after a second female complained he sexually abused her approximately ten years ago when she was 15 years-old.
“Mr. Francis turned the conversation and said he would teach her what it would be like to be sixteen years-old and proceeded to take his trousers down.”
The prosecution say the young girl was then forced to perform a sex act on the defendant that amounts to rape.
“She complained and he stopped and she ran into the toilet,” said Mr. Nail.
Francis was arrested in September, 2014. “He denied the allegations and said they were totally untrue. He said that it was nonsense.”
He pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape in relation to the first girl; plus one count of sexual assault and two counts relating to sexual acts he allegedly made her perform on him.
In relation to the second girl he pleaded not guilty to one count of rape.
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