Man denies sex attacks in hot tub

An alleged hot tub sex attacker targeted several younger women during birthday gatherings in Perthshire, a court was told yesterday.

A 23-year-old shop worker told a trial she was left “shocked and disgusted” when Daniel Crees sexually assaulted her in the outdoor tub.

She told Perth Sheriff Court 46-year-old Crees used his foot to touch her private parts and demanded she take off her bikini top.

The woman said he repeatedly asked her to expose her pierced nipple and she later discovered he had used his foot to sexually assault other young women.

She said: “It’s quite a large hot tub. It had two lounger-style seating areas – so you could lie flat – and there was single seating in use. It was made to fit five or six.

“It was a celebration party. I changed into a swimsuit and got into the hot tub in the back garden. Everybody that was there got into the hot tub at one point.

“He asked me to remove my bikini top when my piercing came up. It’s a nipple piercing. I was worried whether a new piercing in the water would be good or bad.

“He said I would be fine and I was to take off my bikini top so he could see it. When he said it the first time I thought it was a joke, but he kept going on and the more he said it the more uncomfortable I felt.”

She said Crees said: “Why don’t you take it off and show me it? Let me have a look at it.”

She said: “I was trying to laugh it off because I was embarrassed. Daniel placed his leg and foot in between my legs and tried to touch me.

“He was the only person sitting in front of me and when I looked up he was looking directly at me and smiling.

“The legs that were in between my legs were coming straight forward from Daniel’s direction. I could feel Daniel’s legs while I tried to close mine.

“When I tried to push him away he was using his strength to push closer. He was just looking at me with his smirk.

“I remember looking at him and seeing his face. I felt shocked and disgusted. I was too scared to say anything. He had made me feel uncomfortable before.”

She told the court there was a fracas involving Crees and others, and another woman at the party told her she had been attacked in an identical manner.

She said the woman told her Crees had touched her private parts with his toe, and could not believe what had happened”.

Crees, Broadstairs, Canterbury, denies a total of seven charges including carrying out sex attacks by touching women’s private parts while they were wearing swimsuits.

Crees is alleged to have attacked four women in around a month – three of them by using his foot and the other with his hand.

The incidents allegedly took place in Stanley between May 18 and June 22 2019.

The trial, before Sheriff Pino di Emidio, continues.