Skip to content

Murder-accused stepfather made sex images of teen

Duncan LeatherdalePreston Crown Court
News imageLancashire Police Carla looks at the camera. She has brown eyes and thick long dark hair. She is wearing red liptstick and there is a wooden wall behind her.Lancashire Police
Carla Georgescu was found dead in her student flat in February

This article contains distressing details

A man accused of murdering his stepdaughter at her university flat secretly photographed the teenager and doctored graphic sexual images of her, a court has heard.

Nathan Owens, 34 and from Hartlepool, is accused of killing Carla Georgescu in the 19-year-old's room at her hall of residence in Preston in February.

Jurors at Preston Crown Court have heard items from her bedroom were found dumped in Cumbria on the route Owens was thought to have driven home, while his DNA was discovered at the crime scene.

Owens, of Hopps Street, denies murder, wounding and intentional strangulation.

Carla's body was found hanging in her room at Ribble Hall on 5 February, jurors have heard.

The court has seen CCTV footage of Owens having a meal with Carla in the days before she died and him going to her flat on the night of 4 February wrapped in a blanket.

News imageLancashire Police Still from CCTV of a restaurant. Carla and Owens are both sitting at a table next to a wall. She is weaeing a red shirt and looking down at her phone. He is on the other side of the table and is weaeing a navy jacket and blue beanie hat. He appears to be lookng at something on the table, on which there are various empty bowls and glasses.Lancashire Police
Owens had dinner with Carla in the days before her death

A murder probe was launched and on 9 February police visited a farmer who had discovered items dumped near the A685 near Tebay.

The woman said she found a bed sheet, socks, a sex toy and white latex gloves, the court heard.

Matching pairs of gloves were found at Owens' home, the court heard.

Police also seized Owens' laptop on which they discovered thousands of images, hundreds of which were of Carla, the court heard.

News imageLancashire Police Still from CCTV showing Owens walking along a street wrapped in a white and green blanket. It is night.Lancashire Police
Owens went to Carla's room on 4 February wrapped in a blanket

Among them were photographs taken over the previous six months by Owens of Carla walking around their home in Hartlepool in pyjamas and pants, the court heard.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC said Carla "had no idea" the pictures had been taken.

Also found were numerous pictures of naked women in pornographic poses with Carla's face superimposed on them which showed the "sort of thing [Owens] was about", the court heard.

Investigators also discovered:

  • Videos of Owens naked and having intercourse with an anime-style doll of a girl, including some where he was using a sex toy on himself at the same time
  • A selfie of Owens dressed in a bra and one of Carla's nighties
  • Still frames taken from a video of Owens having sex with an "effigy" dressed in Carla's clothes
  • Pictures of Owens having sex with a stuffed cat toy which Carla was said to be "fond" of

Many of the images and videos were last looked at shortly before Owens went and visited Carla in Preston, the court heard.

Owens also had many images of women wearing nappies, with Carla known to wear adult incontinence aids, jurors were told.

His DNA was found on the floor and blanket in Carla's room as well as on swabs taken from her body, the court previously heard.

The trial continues.

Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.

Related internet links