A MAN was today found guilty of sexually attacking a woman he met on the dating app Tinder after earlier joking about rape saying: “It is not that bad”.

Kristian Stevenson was convicted of rape and assault by penetration following a trial that lasted six days. He will be sentenced next month.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, remanded him in custody for a background report to be prepared by a probation officer, and he will return on February 9.

Stevenson, 20, of Northleach Drive, Hemlington, Middlesbrough, was found guilty after the jury of ten men and two women deliberated for four hours.

During the trial which started at Teesside Crown Court last week, the jury heard Stevenson met the woman twice - once in Darlington and once in Middlesbrough.

The woman said she twice told Stevenson: “Ow, no that hurts”, but he continued having sex with her, and later put his hands around her asking if she was okay.

Asked by a detective in a video interview to describe how she felt, she said: “I am embarrassed. I feel guilty and disgusted.

“I don’t know what he [Mr Stevenson] is capable of, I never thought he would do something like this.”

The jury was read a series of text messages between the pair including one exchange where the woman, having begun a discussion about US president Donald Trump, asked Stevenson: “So you think rape is ok?”

The defendant replied: “It is not that bad”, but later corrected himself saying he had been joking.

Following the rape in November last year, Stevenson sent a text saying “Really sorry” when the woman said he had carried on having sex when she told him no.

He said: “I know I shouldn’t have, I don’t know what to say.”

In her evidence, the victim said she had been okay with kissing and Stevenson touching her breasts, but anything further than that she had said no.

She said: “I don’t meet anybody and sleep with them straightaway.”

Chris Morrison, defending, questioned a number of aspects of the complainant’s account and said events had not happened the way the woman described.

He said the sexual activity had been consensual and when the woman made it clear she was uncomfortable his client stopped.

There were shouts of "no" and loud sobbing from the public gallery when the unanimous verdicts were announced, while Stevenson stared straight ahead looking stunned.