A FORMER soldier told a court yesterday he did not know it was against the law to touch a 13 year old girl's breast area and put his hands under her clothes.
At his trial in the Central Criminal Court, the 47 year old Cork man said it was "harmless fun" and "messing" when he touched in this way.
The jury also heard evidenced from the accused man's youngest daughter, who said the only person her father did that "messing around" with was the alleged victim's mother.
During cross examination by Mr Patrick McCarthy, prosecuting, the defendant said he could not understand why his daughter's school friend was alleging hem had sexually assaulted her in a number of ways, including with a vibrator. He also claimed the girl's mother was present when the touching took place.
The defendant denies two charges of sexually assaulting the alleged victim by penetrating her with an object in 1993, four other charges of sexual assault during 1993 and one in 1994.
He agreed he had brought pornographic videos and two vibrators back from a six month tour of duty in Lebanon where he had served from late 1979 to April 1980.
He said the only reason he could give for the girl's allegation of being penetrated by an object was that she had watched one of his videos. He said he once caught his daughter and the alleged victim watching Channel 18, described to the court as a soft porn channel.
The defendant's 19 year old daughter said she never saw her father touching the alleged victim in a sexual way. She also denied her father had ever had sex with her, as claimed by the alleged victim's mother.
The accused man's youngest daughter told Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, defending, she got on "brilliant" with her dad and he brought her everywhere. The alleged victim had been her best friend and was always calling to her house.
He never messed around with the alleged victim and she never saw him touching her. "He didn't treat her any differently than he treated me," she said.
Cross examined by Mr McCarthy, the witness said the only person her father had done that "messing" with was with the alleged victim's mother.
The trial before Mr Justice Geoghegan and the jury continues.