Church Organist 'Befriended Then Sexually Abused Two Young Girls over Ten Years'

By Emma Reynolds
Daily Mail
March 7, 2012

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2111197/Church-organist-Nigel-Parkin-sexually-abused-2-young-girls-years.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

'Shame': Two girls said Nigel Parkin, who played the organ at St Andrews¿ Church in Somerset, repeatedly sexually assaulted them when they were children

'Inappropriate': Nigel Parkin, pictured at Taunton Crown Court, was accused of brushing up against an 11-year-old as he gave her piano lessons

A church organist repeatedly sexually abused two young girls over a 10-year period, a court heard today.

Married Nigel Parkin, 56, befriended the girls and warned them they would not be believed if they told anyone what had happened, Taunton Crown Court heard.

Parkin, who played the organ at St Andrews' Church in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, is accused of assaulting one girl over two years from when she was 11 and of assaulting and raping another from the age of nine to 16.

'He had taught her piano,' prosecutor Sarah Regan said of Parkin's first alleged victim. 'During those lessons she felt that his behaviour towards her was inappropriate.

'She describes him brushing very closely across her chest and putting his hand on her thigh as she played.'

The defendant is also said to have chased after her and enveloped her in a bear hug before pushing ice down her dress and touching her chest.

It is claimed that he touched her on top of her clothes on a different occasion in 2001, when she was aged between 12 and 13.

Neither of the girls told anyone about the alleged abuse at the time, which they claim took place in Parkin's car and at his house.

Parkin, who is also a former presenter on the community radio station 10 Radio, denies eight charges of rape, five of indecent assault and four of sexual assault, alleged to have been committed between August 1998 and October 2009.

Police were alerted when the younger girl - now aged 19 - confided in her head teacher in August 2010.

'The younger girl says she was raped on about 10 occasions and indecently assaulted on about 10 occasions,' said Miss Regan.

'So much in fact she couldn't remember every time.

'She didn't tell anyone until she was 17 and that was in the school holidays in August 2010.

'The reason she told her headmaster was that she knew things in her life would not get better if she kept the abuse to herself.'

The older girl, who is now aged 24, eventually confided in a university tutor.

'It was in that way gradually what had happened to her over the years at the hands of Nigel Parkin came out,' Miss Regan said.

The prosecutor told the court Parkin denied all the allegations, accused the two girls of lying and said they were both suffering from mental health problems.

Later, the jury watched a two-hour recorded interview the younger girl gave to police in September 2010, during which she frequently broke down in tears.

She told officers that she had received hospital treatment after taking an overdose and had self-harmed.

Describing the alleged attacks to an officer, the girl said: 'I just didn't understand what was going on. I didn't know how I felt.

'I was just scared and so ashamed. I was trying to move, to get him off me but he put my arms behind my back.

'I tried to kick him but I couldn't move the top half of my body.

'It seemed to be a very, very long time but I don't think it was.'

The girl later told the officer why she had decided to confide in her teacher.

'I was just so ashamed. I just knew things would not get better if I just kept it to myself,' she said.

'It was an important year and I couldn't just mess around. I just had to tell someone.'

The trial continues.