Volunteer officer's alleged rape victim so young she liked teddies, court told

South Wales Guardian

a day ago

Amersham Law Courts heard that James Bubb, who now identifies as a woman named Gwyn Samuels, was violent towards the complainant despite her asking to be gentle when taking her virginity while in her early teens.
In a police interview played to the court on Tuesday, the alleged victim told officers that at the age of 12, she was being 'hidden' when the pair were in public together and that the defendant, who was 21, looked 'paranoid' when with her.
The complainant, who met Bubb on video-chat site Omegle in 2018, also spoke of how she was 'frozen' when the 27-year-old defendant attempted to engage in sexual activity in public shortly before her 13th birthday.
She told officers she had said to the defendant that she was five years older than she actually was when they first met, but insisted that a number of incidents while they were together would have meant he knew she was underage.
The alleged victim told police of their first in-person meeting at a Christian festival where Bubb, who was working as a volunteer steward at the time, made remarks about going into her tent and having sex with her.
She spoke of how the pair met up away from other festival-goers and said her colour-coded child wristband was clearly on show.
The alleged victim said: 'He was really paranoid, looking around constantly.'
She added: 'We were in a relationship in my eyes but I was being hidden whenever we were in public.
'He made remarks in person about when it was dark… about coming into my tent and having sex with me.
'I was actually so young at that point that I had a teddy bear in my tent. He knew at the time that I was very much interested in things like teddies.'
Addressing how she felt when the defendant spoke of going into her tent, she continued: 'I said I wasn't comfortable with that… and I believe he sent me a text on Snapchat at that point and he said he was probably going to come into my tent either way – maybe while I was sleeping.
'I remember being scared that night.'
The complainant went on to speak about how when the pair started having sex, Bubb was violent.
Telling officers about when the defendant took her virginity, she said: 'He had his hands around my throat. I tried to get words out but they weren't coming out as easily.'
She told the officer that sometimes the defendant was 'hitting me during sex… sometimes he would punch me'.
The alleged victim continued: 'He would also make remarks about raping me.
'He told me I enjoyed being raped and when I said no, he didn't stop and that's when he made these specific remarks.'
The defendant has denied one count of rape in relation to one complainant, and two counts of rape, two counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, one count of rape of a child under 13 and one count of assault by penetration in relation to the other complainant.
All charges are alleged to have taken place between January 1 2018 to April 2 2024.
The defendant, of High Street, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, denies all charges.
The trial continues.