A SHOP worker accused of molesting three teenagers and a boy of eight denied he fondled them during play fights. Shaun Johnson, 23, described playing kiss chase and wrestling with the alleged victims as foolish games . The Somerfield shop assistant is

A SHOP worker accused of molesting three teenagers and a boy of eight denied he fondled them during play fights.

Shaun Johnson, 23, described playing kiss chase and wrestling with the alleged victims as 'foolish games'.

The Somerfield shop assistant is said to have repeatedly preyed on an eight-year-old, a 14-year-old and two teenagers with learning difficulties.

But Johnson, of Sebastian Court, Barking said: "It was just a thing that the boys normally do, they play fight with each other and I got dragged in."

Johnson visited the youngsters on his way home from his supermarket job and posed as stars from wrestling federation WWE, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

"I would play this wrestler called The Undertaker," he told jurors. Johnson denied the bouts were a pretext to touch the boys inappropriately.

"When I'm playing around with kids I am going to play within their mentality," said Johnson.

"I don't think there was anything wrong with playing foolish games with kids."

Johnson denied games of kiss chase with his youngest alleged victim were unsuitable.

He described chasing after the eight-year-old as 'fun'.

"I said (to the boy) 'when I get you I'm going to kiss you'."

Johnson said he tried playing 'grown up' games like Monopoly with the boys but their mental ages were too low.

Prosecutors say Johnson forced himself on his 18-year-old victim, who suffers severe learning difficulties.

The young man, who cannot be named, wept and pleaded with Johnson to stop during the attacks in Beckton, the trial has heard.

Johnson forced the young man to perform intercourse, it is alleged. He also raped and repeatedly molested a 17-year-old with learning difficulties, it is said.

Jurors were told Johnson forced himself on his youngest alleged victim, now aged nine, after waking the boy at night. The abuse took place between August 2006 and June last year

Johnson's ex-girlfriend told the court he showed her 'no affection' and used her as his 'beard' of hetrosexuality to prey on boys. He is also accused of striking at Pontin's in Camber Sands, East Sussex.

Johnson denies nine counts of sexual activity with a child, seven counts of sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice, three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of rape and inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The trial continues.