A former police officer has gone on trial after allegedly engaging in “incessant” contact – including “thousands of calls and texts” – with a vulnerable teenage girl she met while on duty.

Intimate messages, which the 29-year-old woman supposedly sent the teen, were read out on the first day of the Royal Court trial.

Elle Rebecca Keens denies grooming the child for her sexual gratification.

Opening the trial yesterday, Crown Advocate Paul Lee, prosecuting, said Ms Keens and the teenager first met when Ms Keens was still working for the States of Jersey Police.

The then-officer had been called to an incident involving a group of young islanders.

She befriended the teenager and then they began to exchange messages of a romantic or sexual nature, the court heard.

There were messages stating: “I’m horny for you”, “do you see the way I look at you?”, “marry me”, and “I love you, you’re so cute”.

A Valentine’s Day card was also found, in which Ms Keens had written: “I can’t wait for you to be my wife.”

Much more sexually explicit messages were also exchanged after the teenager turned 16, the court heard.

But Crown Advocate Lee alleged: “She was attracted to the teenager and acted on that attraction, and not just after she turned 16.”

During the course of a year, he added, there had been thousands of calls and texts.

“The contact between them was incessant,” he said.

“Ms Keens had an unhealthy obsession with the teenager.

“It would have been clear that the teenager was vulnerable.

“Ms Keens abused the trust placed in her.”

Ms Keens resigned from the police force in May 2023.

The teenager told the police about the contact between them, and Ms Keens was arrested in February 2024.

She was released on bail on condition that she had no contact with the teenager, but Crown Advocate Lee said she breached the bail condition in an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

The court was told that she sent the teenager a message, saying: “Say you set me up – say it was a lie.”

The teenager then sent the police an email stating: “I want to take it back. We weren’t in a relationship ever.”

Commissioner Alan Binnington was presiding with Jurats Averty and Gardener.

The trial continues today.