A WANNABE teenage pop singer has told a jury how her manager indecently touched her as he took promotional pictures.

Hilary Budgen, who operates in the music business under the name Rob Gem and claims to have worked with Madonna and Reg Presley from The Troggs, also made lewd suggestions to the 14-year-old at his home in Swindon, the court heard.

The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told how 63-year-old Budgen put his hand up her skirt and touched her indecently.

And after the police raided his home they found a hoard of pictures on his two computers, some of which had the teenager's head transposed on to naked bodies.

The teenager told Swindon crown court how her family met Budgen following a talent show in 2003.

He offered them the services of a recording studio at his home in Liden, which they took him up on.

Don Tait, prosecuting, said at first Budgen insisted that the girl be accompanied by her parents but eventually that stopped.

The girl signed a management contract and recording contract with Budgen, whose New York-based son owned Rascal Records.

Towards the end of 2004 and into the following January, when the girl was 13 and 14-years-old, she stayed at Budgen's home while she recorded more songs.

Over one weekend in January last year the girl said Budgen suggested taking some photos of her on the stairs at his home.

He started taking snaps of her up her skirt and getting closer and closer to her, she told the court.

She said he was concerned about his wife seeing what they were doing and they moved into the small studio to take more pictures.

As she sat on a chair so he could take pictures which showed her knickers he put his hand up her skirt to straighten' her pants and indecently touched her, she said.

The girl told the court that she told him she didn't want him to do that and they stopped taking pictures.

But he then started making suggestive remarks and saying that they had a bond' between them because of what had happened, she said.

"I trusted him like my uncle," she said.

Mr Tait said that when he was questioned Budgen denied that officers would find any untoward pictures on his computers.

He later admitted taking at least three indecent pictures of the girl but insisted he had no idea how the collages of her head on other bodies got there.

Budgen, of Barrington Close, Liden, denies two counts of sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to commit a sex act and meeting a child following sexual grooming.

He also denies three counts of making indecent pseudo photographs of a child and one of possessing indecent images. He has admitted three counts of making indecent images.

  • The trial continues.