A NINETEEN-year-old Workington man accused of raping a schoolgirl insisted that he never forced himself on her.

The denial was issued in a statement by the accused man after he refused to answer questions put to him by police officers who were investigating the allegations.

At Carlisle Crown Court, the 19-year-old, who can not be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of raping the 14-year-old girl, and a second charge of attempting to rape her.

The jury has been told that the defendant has already admitted eight offences of unlawful sexual activity with the same child.

On day two of the trial, prosecuting barrister Tim Evans gave a jury a list of agreed facts in the case, including the defendant's prepared statement, which he began by denying he committed any offences against the girl.

He said that he first had contact with her via Facebook, and claimed that she did not tell him how old she was. "From her photos, she looked to me to be about 16 or 17," said the statement.

She told him which school she went to and they met on "a number of occasions," he said, insisting that she appeared to be aged 16 or 17.

On some occasions when they met at his house, his parents were at home, he said. "At no time have I either raped, or attempted to rape [the girl]" he wrote.

He said he and the girl had sexual intercourse but it was always she who had instigated it and she had always brought up the subject first.

He continued: "I never forced myself on to her, grabbed her, or pinned her down as alleged. I have never demanded sex."

The agreed facts also included reference to the there having been some 990 texts between the defendant and the girl.

In earlier evidence, Mr Evans said the girl had continued to see the defendant because he had threatened to harm or even kill himself if she left him.

The defendant also denied ever having sex with the girl while she was in his room with another girl, as alleged by the prosecution.

He said in his statement that he would never have had sex with the girl if he had known she was under 16. If she had changed her mind at any point about having sex with him, he said, he would not have done it.

Mr Evans also summarised the findings of a consultant forensic psychiatrist who examined the defendant, who said he presented as a vulnerable individual, who had limited intellect.

The defendant was today due to begin giving his evidence.