Overview

• Opening the case, prosecutor Julie Whitby alleged Alford had sex with one girl in a garden and later in a toilet and performed a sex act on another, saying he knew both were under 16.
• The six charges include two counts of engaging in penetrative activity with a girl under 16, two counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 16, assault by penetration on a female aged 13 or over, and sexual assault.
• Prosecutors said the alleged incidents occurred in the early hours of April 9, 2022 at a Hertfordshire home after a night at a pub and a visit to buy vodka.
• Alford told police he did not touch the complainants, suggested his drinks may have been spiked, and alleged attempts to profit from photos, according to statements cited in court.
• The case, tried at St Albans Crown Court after a previous postponement for health reasons, follows an investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary’s specialist Sexual Offences Investigation Team.