June 2014 Rick Astley’s uncle is child sex predator THE uncle of Eighties pop star Rick Astley admitted yesterday to being a predatory paedophile. But he claimed his victim, a girl who was aged just six, “enjoyed it”. Donald Cassidy, 79, is said to have lured children to his garage where he encouraged them to play games like Doctors and Nurses and carry out sex acts on each other. Chester Crown Court heard his nephew Rick, who went on to become a pop star and who still tours, sometimes joined other children at Cassidy’s home. He was never a victim of any abuse, the court heard. The singer, now 48, was originally listed to be a defence witness but will not be called . Former painter and decorator Cassidy admits two charges of indecent assault on a girl when she was aged between six and eight in a caravan at his former home in Warrington, Cheshire. But he denies nine other indecent assaults, two acts of indecency with a child and two rapes on the same girl. The offences and alleged offences date back to the Seventies. He rejected claims he lured children to his garage and told them to strip off while they “played games”. . The girl he admits abusing claimed she was indecently assaulted by Cassidy in a car parked in the garage, a caravan and in a trailer outside his home from the age of six. She also claimed that she was raped in the caravan when she was aged about 10 and in the bungalow that he built when she was aged around 13, adding: “That man ruined my life.” Cassidy admits sexually abusing her by touching her, assaulting her on “about half a dozen occasions”. He said: “I know I should not have done it. “She sat on my knee and it just happened. “She never complained. She accepted it as though she enjoyed it.” Prosecutor Simon Mills told Cassidy: “In reality you are a predatory paedophile.” Cassidy replied: “Probably, yes. “Whatever sentence I get, I hold my hands up. I deserve it. But those other things never happened.” Mr Mills told the jury: “This defendant is related to the singer Rick Astley. He is not going to be a prosecution witness.” The trial continues.