A STEPFATHER has spoken of his shock when he was told one of his friends had allegedly sexually abused his stepdaughter, a court was told.

Bolton Crown Court heard that the stepfather discovered Smit Johnson in his stepdaughter’s bedroom after creeping upstairs to see what she was doing.

He had not believed anything was wrong, the court was told, until some time later when the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told her mother that she had been sexually abused.

He said: “I didn’t believe it. This one is very confusing to me. I said: Why did she not tell me? She never told me anything about this.

“Three years later you are telling me all this now. It was very confusing. This was the first time I had heard of it.

“I did not see anything sinister about it and it became an allegation. I had to worry.”

The court heard that the girl, who is now aged 11, was allegedly first sexually assaulted by Johnson at a party in November, 2008.

The prosecution claim a second incident happened a year ago when Johnson called her into a bedroom, pulled her on to the bed and attempted to rape her.

One week later, Johnson allegedly told her: “I want to do the same thing we did last time.”

It was at this point, the court heard, that the girl’s stepfather walked into the room.

He told the court: “She was sat on the edge of the bed by the back of the door, fully clothed.

“I asked her what she was doing. She said nothing. I said go downstairs.”

The stepfather said he had not seen anyone doing anything suspicious, but had then advised Johnson he should not be alone with a young girl in her bedroom.

The court heard the stepfather knew nothing of what was alleged to have happened until the girl told her mother while they were at a park in June last year.

Johnson, aged 30, of Nevis Grove, Sharples, denies causing a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempted rape and inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The case continues.