Court told 'weird' football coach bribed boys and made them feel guilty with threats to kill himself before carrying out rape and sexual assaults

Alfie Morel, 24, formerly of Tidcombe Green, Leigh Park, is accused of targeting three boys – including raping one – during his predatory campaign.

Morel was appearing in the dock at Portsmouth Crown Court after last week’s trial had to be abandoned following a juror testing positive for Covid.

Following the start of the new trial, the court heard how Morel, who worked as a supply teacher, bombarded the boys with explicit messages and videos on social media before performing sex acts.

Jurors were told how Morel engineered situations with his principal target after getting the boy to add him on Snapchat – a social media platform where items are deleted within seconds.

In a recorded interview to police, played to the court, the boy revealed how Morel started his campaign to seduce him.

The witness said: ‘I thought he was dropping me home but he pulled up at his house and asked me if I wanted to come in. He was putting me under pressure.

‘After going in (the house) I was coming back from the toilet when I saw the bed cover moving up and down. I pretended not to see.’

The boy went on to say how Morel ‘bribed’ him by saying he ‘would buy me things if I played with him’.

The boy said Morel then pulled his trousers down and sexually assaulted him, telling the court: ‘I pretended to go on the phone to get out of the situation and asked to be dropped home.

‘(Morel) asked me how it felt and if I enjoyed it.’

The boy added: ‘He was starting to make me feel bad.’

Jurors heard how Morel said to the boy he was ‘going to kill himself’ and was on a bridge on one occasion.

A second boy described to police how he was made to feel ‘awkward’ by the football coach who told the youngster to add him on Snapchat before sending him messages that included pictures of his crotch.

‘The messages were weird,’ the boy said in a police interview shown to the court.

The child recalled an occasion at a football training session when Morel remarked about a player being ‘good with balls in his hands’.

‘He smiled at me. I cringed. I think he was talking about testicles,’ the boy said.

The witness said how Morel would also play ‘truth or dare’, with the boy finding it strange. ‘I was like, he shouldn’t be asking me. He should be speaking to people his own age, not children,’ he said.

Asked by the officer why Morel was speaking to young people, the boy added: ‘Because he liked children.’

The boy said he spoke to his friend who confided in him about Morel’s actions, including an occasion when the football coach put his hands down the pants of another boy.

‘I said we needed to do something about it because it is getting worse,’ the boy said.

Morel, who is currently remanded in custody, faces nine charges including rape, attempted rape, two counts of sexual communication with a child, three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, causing or inciting a child into sexual activity, and engaging in sexual activity of a child.

SEE ALSO: Rogue trader jailed

He denies all the charges.

(Proceeding)

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Subscribe here for unlimited access to all our coverage, including Pompey, for just 26p a day.