Katie Price contacted social services after raising concerns that her then-husband had allegedly groomed a schoolgirl, a court has heard.
Kieran Hayler, who was married to Ms Price from 2013 until 2021, is on trial at Lewes Crown Court facing three rape charges and one count of sexual assault involving a complainant who is now 23.
The woman alleges that Hayler, now 39, raped her on three occasions in 2016, when she was 13, including an allegation that he took her virginity.
Hayler denies all four charges, which relate to alleged incidents at Ms Price’s former home in West Sussex.
The court heard on Thursday that Ms Price, 48, a television personality and former glamour model, contacted social services in 2018 after becoming concerned that Hayler had groomed the girl.
The approach followed a conversation in 2017, when the alleged victim’s mother told Ms Price about the claims. This was nearly a year after her daughter had reportedly said Hayler had “done everything” to her.
A social worker later informed Sussex Police of the allegations on August 9, 2018. Officers then contacted the girl’s mother a short time afterwards.
However, the mother told police that her daughter did not want to discuss the alleged rapes or pursue the matter further.
Kieran Hayler, 39, arrives at Lewes Crown Court for his trial on Thursday morning
Hayler and Katie Price were married from 2013 to 2021. They are pictured at a film premiere in Leicester Square, London, in May 2013
Hayler’s barrister, Arlette Piercy, asked the complainant’s mother whether she believed she had betrayed her daughter’s confidence by speaking to Ms Price.
“You said you felt you had to tell Katie Price,” Ms Piercy said. “You went behind your daughter’s back.”
The woman replied: “Yes, she probably didn’t want anyone to ever know. It probably did cause arguments — we did have a bit of a falling-out.”
Earlier on Thursday, the mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told the court that her daughter had said Hayler had “done things to her”.
Giving evidence, she told jurors: “She was quite angry. I didn’t feel she was upset for [my daughter].”
“I felt she was being angry and revengeful for the situation she was in.”
She said Ms Price had told her that Hayler could be “got into trouble” if the allegations were reported.
“I said she doesn’t want me to tell anybody. We have to respect her wishes. She doesn’t want anyone to know and we have to look after her,” the mother said.
The mother said she did not feel Ms Price showed much sympathy for her daughter, adding: “She didn’t really care, to be honest. I didn’t really feel she cared about my daughter.”
She also described her daughter breaking down when told that something had happened between her and Hayler. “She cried more and more,” the mother said.
‘She said, “because he’s done things to me”. ‘I said, “What has he done to you?”
‘She cried more. Then she said, “He’s done everything to me, mummy”.
‘I was just shocked and I tried to ask her to explain to me, what you mean.
‘She said, “I can’t tell you any more, I can’t tell you any more”, then she couldn’t speak.
‘She just said: “He did everything to me. What do you think? He did everything to me”.’
The mother said her daughter was too distressed to tell her any details of what happened and she ‘just left her to calm’.
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The girl reported the alleged rapes to the NSPCC in 2021 and then phoned her mother to tell her.
The mother told Lewes Crown Court: ‘She phoned me and she said, “I don’t think you’re going to be very happy because I’ve reported it to the police”.
‘I knew straight away what she was talking about. She still hadn’t told me exactly what had happened.
‘She said it was more than one occasion and it was over a long period of time. She said he’d done everything to her. She said she had lost her virginity.
‘She said she thought it was normal. He told her it was normal.
‘He cried afterwards and said if she told anyone, they would both get into trouble.
‘She said it made her feel sick and dirty thinking about it whenever she thought about what had happened.
‘At the time, she thought it was normal but thinking back about it because of her age, she just felt dirty.’
In 2021, the complainant contacted the NSPCC charity which referred her to the police, prompting the investigation.
Hayler was first interviewed by police in January 2022 and denied any of the allegations took place and that anything sexual occurred.
Giving evidence to jurors on Tuesday, the complainant told the court that Hayler texted her after the third alleged rape, saying, ‘I love you goodnight,’ and she replied: ‘I love you too.’
Jurors heard when the trial opened on Monday that Hayler will say Ms Price made up the allegations as part of a campaign against him.
Hayler and Katie Price are pictured together at a London film premiere in November 2015
Hayler believes the allegations were ‘created’ and he was being ‘set up’ after the breakdown of their marriage.
Jurors were told mother-of-five Ms Price, 48, will be called as a witness in the trial.
His Honour Judge Mark Van Der Zwart described Ms Price as a media personality who the jury had likely heard of.
Former stripper and reality TV star Hayler met Ms Price in 2012 and proposed on Christmas Day. They married at a luxury Caribbean resort the following year.
In a previous statement, Sussex Police said: ‘We can confirm Kieran Hayler, of Northchapel, West Sussex, has been charged with three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl.
‘The offences are alleged to have occurred at an address in West Sussex between June 1 and October 13, 2016.
‘The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has received support from specially trained officers as our enquiries continue.’
A representative for Hayler has previously said: ‘Kieran Hayler strongly denies the allegations made against him in their entirety.
‘Mr Hayler is fully engaged and has been co-operating with the police throughout the investigation and will continue to do so.
‘He looks forward to his name being cleared believing in the judicial system to do so.’
The alleged victim is not part of Hayler or Ms Price’s extended families.
Hayler denies rape and sexual assault. The trial at Lewes Crown Court continues.
