A FATHER-of-two groomed a schoolgirl for sexual contact by touching her and talking "dirty" to her, a jury was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard that Derek Kearney, 32, made obscene jokes and suggested the 12-year-old commit a sex act on him.

Kearney, of Gainsborough Avenue, Burnley, denies indecency with a child between November 1998 and August 1999 and indecent assault between last May and August.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said before Christmas of 1998, the defendant started talking in "dirty" terms to the girl, made inappropriate remarks, obscene jokes and gave her and a friend cigarettes.

Mr Lamberty said Kearney told the alleged victim, now a teenager, he would give her five cigarettes if she would perform a sex act on him and said on another occasion he would give her 10 cigarettes if she did it. Mr Lamberty said that at about new year, the defendant took the girl to Crown Point, a local beauty spot in Burnley, and asked her what she thought she was there for.

When the girl said she thought for a cigarette, Kearney told her no and told her to think again, the jury was told. When the girl protested she would be late, the defendant drove her back home, Mr Lamberty said.

The court heard that in the early part of 1999, Kearney played an obscene joke on the girl, and unzipped his trousers. On another occasion, he referred to the joke in front of a group of people and seemed to laugh it off. Mr Lamberty said Kearney asked the schoolgirl if she wanted to go to bed with him, she refused and the defendant told her he bet her friend would have got into bed with him. The girl later complained about the remark to her friend.

Mr Lamberty alleged Kearney was "grooming" the girl for sexual contact, the build up to an incident at his home, where he picked up the girl, put her on to a kitchen unit and touched her over her clothes.

Mr Lamberty said when Kearney was interviewed, he denied anything untoward had gone on, but said he had taken part in a "poor taste" joke, although it was only a joke. He denied he had touched the girl indecently.

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