Harlow rape suspect 'traced by DNA' 15 years later
A rapist who attacked a 15-year-old girl was traced by a DNA match almost 15 years later, a court has heard.
The girl was walking through Ten Metre Wood in Harlow, Essex, in December 1997 when she was grabbed around the neck, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.
The court heard the father of accused Jon Molt provided a DNA sample as part of the police inquiry and a "familial match" was found.
Mr Molt, 34, from Rushes Mead, Harlow, denies rape.
Prosecutor Carolyn Gardiner said the girl had attended a Christmas concert at her school and became concerned that her boyfriend, who played in the band, was not there and decided to walk to his house.
Threat to kill
As she passed through a secluded area of the wood she became aware of somebody running behind her, the court heard.
Ms Gardiner said that as the attacker tried to remove the girl's school uniform, she said: "Please don't hurt me, I'm only 15."
The prosecutor said: "She screamed and he struck her and said 'If you scream again I'm going to kill you and I'm going to kill you bad'."
Despite a major investigation and a Crimewatch appeal, the suspect was not traced until a DNA match was found almost 15 years later.
The court heard that, at the time of the attack, Mr Molt worked in a Blockbuster store near the woodland.
When he was arrested, Mr Molt told police he did not rape the girl and did not know Ten Metre Wood.
In the girl's interview from 1997 which was played to the court, she told police: "I said 'if I let you you do what you do, will you not hurt me and let me go?' and he said 'yeah'."
The girl said she told her attacker that she had HIV, which she did not, in an attempt to stop him raping her. He replied "so have I", she added.
The case continues.