A NINETEEN-year-old west Cumbrian man who began a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl has denied raping her.

Carlisle Crown Court heard how the man, who has admitted eight offences of unlawful sexual activity with the same girl, got to know her after they became friends on Facebook.

The defendant also denied a second allegation of attempting to rape the girl.

Opening the case, prosecutor Tim Evans said it was clear from their interactions on Facebook that the defendant knew the girl was under the age of 16. “That meant in order to keep seeing this defendant,” said Mr Evan, “she had to keep things from her family. That involved her telling lies about where she was going on particular days to allow her to meet up with the defendant.”

Mr Evans described how the girl had visited the defendant, going into his bedroom with a friend. She became embarrassed when he started “coming on to her.”

He started having sex with her, but she repeatedly told him to stop, said Mr Evans.

The barrister continued: “She described what was going on as ‘horrible’. It was plain she didn’t want to have sex with him and if he continued having sex when she was saying stop, and trying to push him away, that constitutes the offence of rape because she wasn’t consenting.

“He would have known full well she wasn’t consenting.”

Mr Evans said the girl’s friend would tell the jury of going to the defendant’s room with her. As she played on her phone, she heard her friend tell the defendant to “get off” her. She saw they were having sex but her friend was trying to push him off.

The alleged victim was trying to push the defendant off but he was continuing to have sex with her.

Mr Evans said the schoolgirl’s friend never returned to the defendant’s home in Workington after that. “So why go to see him again after what he had done to her?” asked the barrister, referring to the alleged victim.

He said the girl continued seeing him because the defendant - who can not be named for legal reasons - had threatened to harm or even kill himself if she did not carry on being his girlfriend.

When interviewed, the defendant refused to answer questions.

But in a prepared statement, which Mr Evans said was misleading, he claimed he would not have had sex with the girl if he had known she was under 16.

He said he had never forced her to do anything against her will.

The trial continues.