A MAN accused of rape by a woman he met on the dating app Tinder said she had got on top of him and also moaned with enjoyment.

Kristian Stevenson said he then rolled the woman over and pulled down her leggings and underwear before having sex with her.

The 20-year-old said he recalled the complainant saying that hurts, but did not remember her saying ‘no’, ‘stop’, or pulling away.

He told police who interviewed him: “It was sex, not rape. Why else would she get on top of me? The whole time I was under the impression she wanted to.”

The defendant, who is on trial at Teesside Crown Court and denies rape and sexual assault in November 2016, said the woman moaned in apparent enjoyment as he committed a sex act on her.

Mr Stevenson, of Northleach Drive, Hemlington, Middlesbrough, admitted he had “pushed my luck” during one of his encounters with her and perhaps she had regretted their liaison. But he said he had received texts from her saying she really liked him and she was “fighting herself over it”.

The alleged victim contacted Mr Stevenson on Tinder after seeing his photo and they met up twice, once at his home and once at hers. The pair exchanged a series of texts, some of which have been read to the jury.

The woman conceded she had not contacted police initially with her rape complaint, saying she had tried to get on with her life.

She also said she had felt guilty and disgusted by what happened and never thought the defendant would be capable of rape.

The woman, who gave evidence from behind a screen, said she had been okay with kissing and Mr Stevenson touching her breasts, but anything further than that, she had said no.

She said she would not sleep with anybody straight away.

The court has heard how Mr Stevenson joked about rape during a discussion both parties had, saying it wasn’t that bad, but later corrected himself and said he had been joking.

The trial continues.