Walton-On-Thames: A former Walton-Hop party-goer saw his case against pop paedophile Jonathan King crumble last week after accusing the 70s music star of rape.

The unnamed 39-year-old was called to give evidence in the disgraced DJ's second trial, following his September conviction for molesting five teenage boys between 1969 and 1990.

The former public schoolboy claimed he met the 56-year-old impresario at the Walton-on-Thames children's disco in 1977 when he was 15 and King had offered him a lift home.

He claimed on that first occasion King took him on a two-mile detour and stopping in a woodland car park molested him.

Claiming to have been confused after his recent expulsion from school, the married man told the court how he accepted a lift from the hop on a second occasion, and King again drove him to the car park where he marched him to the side of a tennis pavilion and forced him into a sex act. He also spoke of a similar incident that happened when he visited King's west London home.

He told the jury: "He was well aware I was a virgin. I had never been with a girl.

"It was rape. I was vulnerable at the time. I did not have anyone to turn to."

However after recounting his experiences with the fallen star for the first time, telling the jury he felt a 'cloud of shame' the case fell apart when he agreed with defence lawyer's suggestions that the events had in fact taken place in 1978, when he was over the age of consent.

Beginning a seven-year sentence at Belmarsh Prison, Jonathan King claims to have lodged an appeal against the conviction.

November 30, 2001 11:30