A former Canberra tennis coach accused of molesting two of his young students in the 1980s quit his role after being confronted by one alleged victim's father, a court has heard.
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John Walter Cattle, 83, is on trial in the ACT Supreme Court charged with three historical acts of indecency and one indecent assault.
The court has heard Mr Cattle was a coach at Forrest Tennis Club during the 1980s. Police allege that, on separate occasions, he "lured" two young girls into privacy on club grounds, forcefully kissed both, rubbed one girl's genitals, and made another play with his penis. The court has heard the girls were between the ages of 10 and 12 at the time.
He is also accused of instructing one of the girls to look at a pornographic magazine in the club's bathroom - although that allegation is not subject to a charge.
Mr Cattle has pleaded not guilty to all the alleged offences.
A former president of the club, who appeared as a witness in the case on Monday, said he was visited by Mr Cattle, one of his alleged victims, and her father on one afternoon during the late 1980s.
The former president said it was the first time he'd met the young girl, and her father was "pretty upset". He told the court: "John was a bit worried, which was fair enough.
"[The young girl's] father had stated that John had interfered with his daughter."
The former president said he "didn't ask for details", but Mr Cattle denied doing anything to the girl, which was "about all he could do".
"My attitude was it was something I couldn't handle," the former president told the court.
"If I could cool [the situation] down ... I thought it was the best attitude for me."
The former president said he took no further action about the father's allegation, and Mr Cattle quit his job after the confrontation.
The alleged victim's father, who appeared as a witness in the case on Friday, denied ever attending the former president's home with his daughter and Mr Cattle. He told the court he returned from an overseas trip to find his daughter "withdrawn", "distressed" and "inactive" after she was allegedly assaulted by Mr Cattle.
The father said he hand-delivered a letter to one of the tennis club's executive members to "inform" the club Mr Cattle molested his daughter.
The trial continues.