West End photographer sexually assaulted woman during photoshoot, jury told

A West End photographer left an aspiring actress feeling “sick” and “upset” after allegedly sexually assaulting her in his studio more than 10 years ago, a jury has heard.

Pascal Molliere, 54, from Havant in Hampshire, has denied four counts of sexual assault during an hour-long photoshoot at a warehouse in Fulham, west London, in July 2010.

Prosecution barrister Tyrone Silcott told Southwark Crown Court that the alleged victim, whose identity is protected by law, was 22 at the time and Molliere was 44 or 45.

She had moved to London to pursue a career in acting and contacted Molliere in 2010 for headshots via a website called StarNow, the court heard.

The aspiring actress borrowed money from her mother for the shoot, which took place at Cooper House on Fulham Broadway, between July 1 and 31.

Mr Silcott told jurors that ahead of the shoot, Molliere asked the woman whether she wanted “to do fashion or sexy shots”.

The woman agreed to bring lingerie because she was interested in modelling and “felt it might be nice to take some photographs for her and her then partner”, he added.

She said that when she arrived to meet Molliere, he locked the door to his “dark” workspace, which “did not seem like a studio”.

She said Molliere was “polite and professional” for the first 15 minutes while he took headshots, but he began to touch her after she undressed.

Mr Silcott told the court: “As he was telling (the woman) how or where to stand, he began to brush against her and to touch parts of her body that were unclothed.”

He added that Molliere had taken photographs of her from underneath with her legs open, repeatedly told her she had “a beautiful vagina” and touched her genitals.

Mr Silcott said: “For her part, she felt uncomfortable and upset.

“After the photoshoot had finished, the defendant kissed her with ‘a full kiss on the mouth’.

“The kiss made her feel sick.”

After leaving the studio the alleged victim “burst into tears” and told her boyfriend at the time what had happened, Mr Silcott said.

Her boyfriend contacted Molliere, telling him to delete all the photographs and to refund the money or he would contact the police.

Molliere refunded the fee and the woman did not call the police because “she did not think she would be believed and she was ashamed that she had not said no or stood up for herself”, Mr Silcott said.

Nine years later, on January 17 2019, the woman told police about the incident after being inspired by the Me Too movement, jurors heard.

Molliere was interviewed by police under caution on May 8 2019, and provided a prepared statement.

He said in the statement: “I totally deny these allegations.

“I remember receiving a call from a male regarding his fiancee about a photoshoot I had done.

“He was very aggressive and threatening, he demanded a refund which I provided.

“I do not recall all the details of that particular photoshoot; however, I know that any photos and poses that took place were entirely with her consent and I behaved professionally at all times.

“The studio I worked in had CCTV, in the studio and throughout the building, and the studio was not locked.

“There were screened areas and toilets where clients could change with privacy.”

In late 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 Molliere’s address, and the jury was shown edited versions of the photographs.

Molliere, who was wearing a navy suit with a pale blue shirt and face covering for the first day of his trial, has denied having any sexual contact with the woman.

Jurors will hear from Molliere’s defence lawyer, Esther Schutzer-Weissmann, in the coming days.

The trial continues.