A YOUNG Carlisle woman accused of performing a sex act during a video chat with a 15-year-old boy said the teenager “pressured” her into it.

Kaitlyn Dorothy Reynolds-Sloan, 22, has gone on trial at the city’s crown court, where she denies three allegations: causing a child to watch a sex act; engaging in sexual communication with a child; and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The prosecution says she was seeking “sexual gratification”. But the defendant claims she was “blackmailed” into using a sex ‘toy’ during the Facetime call with the boy on a day between March 18 and April 8 last year.

The court heard from the boy and the defendant, of Buchannan Road, Upperby, Carlisle. In evidence, he said Reynolds-Sloan texted her to apologise for an argument earlier that day in which she was involved and he witnessed.

She asked to ‘Facetime’ him, he said. When the call came through he answered and saw she was in the bath, he said. Later, after putting the phone down, she moved to a bed and it was here that the sexualised behaviour began, he told the jury.

The teenager said she exposed her top half, and then found a sex ‘toy’, letting him watch her as she used it. Asked why he took screen-shots of this, he told defence lawyer Paul Tweddle: “Because I knew it was wrong.”

He denied ‘bullying’ her into performing a sex act, and telling her: “Either you do this or I’m going to call the police.”

The defendant - given an ‘appropriate adult’ in her police interview - told officers: “I’m not that sort of person. I was forced. My head was a mess.”

The boy pressured her to perform a sex act, she said. In court, she said she had depression and an ADHD diagnosis.

On the day in question, the teenager sent her 21 consecutive requests for a nude picture, she said. Asked why she did not hang up, she said: “I did everything he told me to because I was frightened...

“He basically said if I don’t do it he’d phone the police and get me done for it anyway.” After the call, she said, she threw thrown her phone down and felt “disgusted”. The court heard the teenager’s screenshots of what happened were circulated.

When she learned of this, she did not leave the house for months, said Reynolds-Sloan.

The jury heard also from a police officer, who confirmed “appropriate adults” are provided for ‘vulnerable’ suspects.

The boy’s phone was not examined because he refused to hand it over, she said.

The trial continues.