A 26-YEAR-OLD man who had a sex session with a schoolgirl, who lived in a children’s home, is facing jail.

Burnley Crown Court heard how married Ajad Miah had been told by the ‘wild’ 14-year-old that she needed to get to the Lancashire home after he had picked her up on a country road at night.

He then collected her and dropped her off nearby on three nights, and staff had noted his registration number.

But Miah told a jury he had absolutely no idea she lived at a children’s home, claimed he thought she was 22 and alleged the girl had told him she was.

The hearing was told the girl, who had admitted she took drink and drugs at the time, had smoked cannabis in the car.

Miah had denied two counts of sexual activity with a child, last September.

The defendant, of Brougham Street, Burnley, was convicted after a three day trial.

He was bailed until July 6, for a pre-sentence report, and was warned by Judge Jonathan Gibson custody was likely.

In his summing up to the jury, the judge had told the eight men and four women they must try the defendant only on the evidence heard in the courtroom and leave aside ‘pre-conceived ideas about this type of case’.

Elizabeth Nicholls, prosecuting, had told the jury the victim had told Miah she was 14.

She said: “She was going a little wild, running away from home, taking drugs, taking alcohol, taking enormous risks, putting herself in dangerous positions and not caring a jot.”

The defendant, who had been in the car with another man, had picked up the schoolgirl and she had told him she needed to get to the children’s home.

The girl told police the two men pretended they were both 14 and were joyriders, but she had said she was not stupid, had asked them how old they really were, and they had told her they were both 24.

Miss Nicholls said the defendant claimed the sole reason he had stopped in the car was to give the girl a lift, as it was dark, wet and she was in the middle of nowhere.

She was in the vehicle for four-and-a-half hours, and he drove past the home four times, but he alleged that not once had he asked her where she lived.

The prosecutor continued: “He knew very well where she lived because she got in the car and she told him where she lived.

“She told him about the children’s home.”

The girl had told the court they had stopped to buy alcohol, but Miah had claimed they didn’t and that the teenager had a bottle of vodka in her purse.

Miss Nicholls told the court the defendant had later received a phone call from his wife, telling him the police were at their home.