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A bodybuilding fanatic from Merseyside who is banned from squeezing men’s muscles or asking them to do squats has targeted more young males, a jury was told.

Akinwale Arobieke, 52, who the court heard is known as “Purple Aki”, approached well-built men in Manchester city centre, Trafford and Bolton and touched their arms or shoulders, prosecutors allege.

Mr Arobieke denies any wrongdoing and says he is being “set up” by “vindictive” people who know about his history of offending.

He was jailed for five years in 2003 for 15 charges of harassment and on his release he was given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

It bans him from certain specific activities, including feeling a person’s muscles or getting them to carry out “squats” in public.

He has since been jailed three times for flouting the SOPO, and is now facing a further string of breaches at Manchester Crown Court – offences he denies.

Opening the case for the crown, prosecutor Michael Brady told the court: “The complainants in this case are all young men whose physical appearance and build hold a fascination for this defendant.

“Mr Arobieke has had, and continues to have, an interest in bodybuilding.

“His interest extends beyond that which is legitimate and manifests itself in a way that we say is criminal.”

It is alleged that between April and June 2011, Mr Arobieke approached a 19-year-old man on Market Street in Manchester and “bumped into him” before striking up a conversation.

The man, now 20, told the jury Mr Arobieke followed him up towards the Triangle shopping centre.

The alleged victim, giving evidence in court, said: “He stopped in front of me and held out his arm, because I had stopped answering.

“He opened his rucksack which had different bodybuilding magazines and started showing me pictures of them and asking if I knew who they were.

“He asked if I could do particular poses.”

The man told how the defendant touched him on the shoulder and bicep, and said it was a “very uncomfortable experience”.

In October 2012, more than a year later, the man said he was approached by Mr Arobieke again several times in St Peter’s Square during his daily commute.

Mr Brady told the jury the alleged victim told his boss about what had happened.

Mr Brady said: “Upon hearing the explanation given by (the alleged victim), his employer asked ‘Is it Purple Aki’?”

Mr Brady later added: “I should say that the moniker Purple Aki is a nickname the defendant finds offensive and racist.”

Mr Arobieke, who was defending himself, denies he ever met the man on Market Street.

The SOPO also orders the defendant to live in the Merseyside area and not enter St Helens, Warrington or Widnes.

Akinwale Arobieke, formerly of Devonshire Road, Toxteth, denies eight breaches of his sex offences prevention order.

(Proceeding.)