In 2023, Meg was struggling at school, and, after discussing her difficulties with her parents, Foden offered to provide one-to-one support.
When she learned about the arrangement, Meg said she was shocked.
She said: “I felt I was in a position where I couldn’t say no.”
Meg said Foden told her not to tell her parents about the meetings, while also asking her parents not to discuss the arrangement with her.
She believes this prevented them as a family from openly talking about what was happening.
She attended 17 “support” sessions on her own with Foden, and said she started opening up to him because she felt like she could “trust him”.
“I remember him asking me if I was scared of him, and I answered ‘yes’. I think that confirmed to him that he had authority and power over me,” she said.
She said that she felt “special” at the time and she “wanted someone to be there all the time”.
“I think he saw that and took advantage of it,” she said.
“After a while, I noticed him looking me up and down.
“Grooming is not just touching, it controls your mind. He was controlling my mind. He was playing a game.”
