Man, 24, accused of having underage sex with girl

Wayne Wright changed his story when officers pointed out there was ‘thousands’ of messages between the two of them on his mobile phone, a court heard.

Wright, 24, is standing trial at Teesside Crown Court accused of a string of sex offences which he has denied.

He conceded sex had taken place, but said he believed the girl was over 16-years-old, the court heard.

“One of the reasons he gave for this was details on her Facebook page,” said Paul Reid, prosecuting.

“The prosecution say the victim did not look 16 at the time of the offences, and Wright was aware she was still at school.

“He cannot have reasonably believed she was over 16.”

Consensual intercourse took place between the pair on up to seven occasions.

Wright asked the girl to put on her school uniform for one of the sex sessions, the court heard.

“During this period there was thousands of texts between them,” Mr Reid told the jury.

“In one exchange, Wright asked the victim what the age difference was.

“She replied truthfully it was about four or five years.

“Wright responded by saying if people found out he would get called ‘all sorts’.

“The prosecution say it was obvious what he meant by that.”

Wright urged the girl to send him photographs of herself.

“One of those featured her in her school uniform,” said Mr Reid.

“Wright said he wanted photographs of her naked.

“She sent him a photograph of her in her underwear.

“The central issue in this case is quite simple, either Mr Wright believed the girl to be over 16 years or he did not.”

Wright, of Inverness Road, Hartlepool, denies five charges of sexual activity with a child, and he denies one charge of inciting a child to engage in a sexual act.

The case continues.