A PREACHER who told a schoolgirl she should not have sex before marriage raped her three times, a court heard yesterday.

Born-again Christian Robin Brown, who is also accused of indecent assault, was the leader of a religious group when he was alleged to have repeatedly attacked the girl when she was 16 and 17.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the 52-year-old groomed the girl until she was 16 before touching her on a number of occasions and then going on to rape her.

The prosecution alleged Mr Brown began talking to the girl in an inappropriate manner and told her she was not serving God correctly.

David Hall, prosecuting, said: "He told her to not let other boys do anything to her or they would dump her. This conduct went on and the prosecution say he was grooming her for his own benefit."

Mr Brown, of Shields Place, Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, denies three counts of rape between December 1996 and December 1997.

He also denies three specimen charges of indecent assault between December 1995 and February 2002.

On one occasion he allegedly pushed her against a door before forcing her to have sex with him on the floor, despite her repeated requests for him to stop, the jury was told.

A week later, he was said to have raped her again, before kissing her on the head and telling her: "Thank-you."

Mr Hall said: "During these assaults he used to tell her his favourite fantasies.

"None of the rapes were with any undue violence. It was by force of his personality that he forced her to have sexual intercourse with him, even though she said 'No'."

The trial continues.