A GWENT Police officer has gone on trial accused of sexually assaulting a young girl.

John Stringer, 41, is charged with five offences against the girl which allegedly took place over almost two years between December 2019 and July 2021.

The charges include two counts of sexual assault by touching, two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act.

Stringer has denied the allegations.

Ian Wright, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “At the time of these alleged offences this defendant was a serving police officer with Gwent Constabulary.”

He said the defendant’s alleged abuse came to light after the girl made a disclosure to her primary school teaching assistant.

The Cardiff primary school immediately notified her parents and South Wales Police who then interviewed her on July 15, 2021.

A video of the interview of the interview will be played to jurors.

Mr Wright said: “(The girl) disclosed to the police in that video interview that she was being sexually assaulted by this defendant.”

The prosecutor said the victim had told the police that Stringer had touched her inappropriately under a blanket and her clothing and would show her pornographic videos with half-naked women in it and ask her to “mimic” the actions of the performers.

“(She) was extremely reluctant to do so but the defendant insisted that she masturbate herself,” Mr Wright added.

“This is something (she) then did and something the defendant repeated on further occasions.”

He added: “He (the defendant) was to tell her that touching her vagina would help her to feel calm and that he would when stressed often touch himself.”

The victim told police that Stringer asked her if she touched herself at home and to be careful her parents did not catch her as he would get into trouble for showing her.

Mr Wright said: “He would tell her that if that happened, if adults were to find out, it would be her fault.”

The court heard how there was a break in the alleged offending due to the Covid-19 lockdowns and that when restrictions eased the sexual abuse resumed.

The court heard the offences are not related to his activities as a police officer.

Stringer was arrested on July 12 2021 at 3.15pm and, after being cautioned, told the arresting officers: “It’s a shock.”

He was interviewed and, despite denying the girl’s account, he was later charged.

The jury was told that during the four-day trial they would watch videos of the victim and the defendant’s interviews with police, be shown drawings the victim made during those interviews, and be presented with downloads from Stringer’s phone including his internet and chat histories.

The prosecution said experts will be called to show how Stringer, from Cardiff, had “very, very many searches” for adult pornography on his mobile phone.