Photographer denies sexually assaulting aspiring actress

West End theatre photographer Pascal Molliere allegedly attacked the actress in 2010

A photographer has denied sexually assaulting an aspiring actress during a photoshoot.

The attack is alleged to have happened during an hour-long photography session at a warehouse in Fulham, west London, in July 2010.

Southwark Crown Court heard he touched the 22-year-old's genitals and kissed her.

Pascal Molliere, 54, told jurors that the incident "absolutely" did not happen.

The woman, whose identity is protected by law, wanted publicity headshots for her acting work and borrowed money from her mother to pay for the shoot, which took place at Cooper House on Fulham Broadway, the court heard.

She brought lingerie with her to the shoot as she was also interested in having some "sexy photos taken for her boyfriend during the session".

On Wednesday, Mr Molliere denied the allegations and said she was "confident" and "very keen" to do "sexualised" adult pictures in which he photographed her naked.

However, he denied convincing her to do them or touching her and told the court: "She kept saying 'for my partner, I think he will like these'".

Mr Molliere was asked directly whether he had cupped, stroked, or kissed any part of her body during the shoot but said this would "completely break the whole flow, the whole rapport".

He said: "The thing about the kiss is it's complete nonsense, utter nonsense."

'Upset and ashamed

The court previously heard how Mr Molliere was "polite and professional" at first but started touching the woman and took photos of her from underneath once she had undressed.

The alleged victim's boyfriend said he called to demand a refund and for the pictures to be deleted, and branded Mr Molliere an "abhorrent human".

The boyfriend told the court the alleged victim did not want to report the incident to the police at the time because she felt "upset and ashamed".

Mr Molliere claimed the woman left the photoshoot "elated" and, when he received a call from her boyfriend days later, he believed the couple had fallen out over the sexual nature of the pictures.

He said: "He was very upset and he began to confide in me that he was going to get married to this girl and how upset he feels that she had betrayed him, that she had done this nude photoshoot with a complete stranger."

The woman came forward in 2019 after being inspired by the #MeToo movement, jurors heard.

In 2021, images from the shoot showing the woman in "various stages of undress" including close-ups of her vagina, were extracted from a laptop seized at his address.

Mr Molliere, of Havant in Hampshire, has denied four counts of sexual assault and having any sexual contact with the woman.

The trial continues.

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