Crown says three models lured for sexual reasons

Three young women were lured into "hoax" modelling photo shoots by a cameraman who wanted sexual gratification when they were naked, a jury at the Auckland District Court was told yesterday.

Jason Slater, 35, of Avondale, faces three charges of indecently assaulting the women on separate occasions after getting them to take their clothes off.

One of the women ran naked and screaming from the photo session with Slater, the jury heard.

In his closing address, Crown prosecutor Fletcher Pilditch said: "This is a situation where the accused's motivation in relation to each complainant was sexual and had nothing to do with modelling."

Slater, he said, had lured the women to different office premises in a calculated way on a pretext that was false and indecently touched them without their consent.

"He knew he was perpetrating a fraud."

In the Crown submission Slater never had any business related to modelling.

It was a total hoax, an absolute fraud, Mr Pilditch said.

He had indulged in big talk about glamour, potential lucrative contracts and the money that could be made.

But Mr Pilditch said he was merely "trying to get his rocks off," to sexually gratify himself and his prurient interest in the women.

One of the women said that Slater made her skin crawl and another said she felt like a piece of meat.

Slater was said to have put his video camera close to one of the women's intimate parts.

"This isn't modelling. It's pornography," Mr Pilditch said.

Defence counsel Peter Boylan rejected Mr Pilditch's assertion of a fraud.

He said there was absolutely no evidence to suggest that Slater was not an entrepreneur starting out.

He said that one alleged incident never happened and the others were acquiesced to by the three women in the context of a modelling interview where nudity or partial nudity could be expected.

Any touching was for the purpose of enhancing image or appearance in a modelling situation.

He said that all the women had to do was say stop.

"If you go into an environment, it is up to you to be responsible for yourself."

Mr Boylan said that there was consent for the touching.

Where there is no clear consent, the pattern of behaviour and the acquiescence provided an honest belief for Slater to continue, Mr Boylan said.

Judge David Wilson, QC, will sum up this morning.