A TEENAGER encouraged his eight-year-old cousin to perform sex acts on him if he scored a goal against her in football, a jury has been told.

The defendant, who is now 33, also told the girl to perform sex acts on herself if he beat her on the Playstation.

Neither the defendant or his alleged victim can be named for legal reasons.

Prosecutor Paul Brookwell told Preston Crown Court the abuse started when the victim was nine and finished when she was 15. It all took place in the Hyndburn area.

The prosecutor said the final sexual interaction the pair had was when the victim was 15.

The victim is said to have come into her room and attempted to get into bed with her. Fearing where it would lead she told him to get out of the room before she 'screamed the house down', the court heard.

Mr Brookwell said: "This is a case in which the two involved were cousins. They were very young at the time.

"The defendant began with sexual experimentation on her.

"He then moved on to commit more serious sexual acts on her. This took place over a number of years."

The court heard the alleged victim lived close to the defendant's family and would often come to visit when her parents were at work. During those visits the defendant and alleged victim would play games including, football, hide and seek and on computer consoles.

Mr Brookwell said: "The sexual behaviour began during those games.

"For example it would occur during the game of football. If he scored against her he would say she had to pay a forfeit."

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Mr Brookwell said that included touching him in a private area and the duration of the interaction depended on how many goals he scored. There would also be sexual touching during games of hide and seek, the prosecution allege.

As time went on the alleged abuse became more serious, the court was told.

Mr Brookwell said: "In later years the victim did bump into the defendant in a bar in Great Harwood. Time had passed. They got on. They were talking together. The subject went onto the sexual acts. She said to him 'I think you owe me an apology'. He, broadly speaking, agreed. He expressed his regret and remorse."

The court heard the victim first spoke about the alleged abuse when she told her friend in 2003 while camping. In 2011 she told her partner of the time and in May 2015 the complainant told her mother. She informed police in June 2015.

The defendant was arrested and answered 'no comment' to all questions in police interview.

The defendant denies nine counts of indecency with a child and 13 indecent assaults all between 1996 and 2004 and all against the same victim.

The trial continues.