AN AFGHAN asylum seeker who struck up a sexual relationship with a child has been found guilty.

It took a jury 97 minutes to convict Zia Maroofkhail, 28, of four counts of sexual activity with the schoolgirl.

He was cleared of a fifth charge.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Preston Crown Court had been told how Maroofkhail had met his victim for the first time in a Blackburn park and winked at her.

She very quickly began to believe the defendant, formerly of Blackburn, was her boyfriend.

The youngster, who has 'personal difficulties', told the jury they had sex on several occasions including at his house, her house, in an alley and in a field.

"When they met at his house, it was before school."

Maroofkhail had told police he had never actually met the girl in person, but later admitted that was untrue.

He told the jury that he had 'saved' the truth for court.

The defendant claimed they only had sex twice and that the victim had told him she wanted them to get married and move away together.

He also maintained that he thought the girl was '16 going on 17'.

Speaking through an interpreter, he told the court: "I agree I spoke lies.

"I did not disclose to anybody anything. I said when I face the jury and the court, I will speak the truth.

"In my mind I will go to the court and I will explain everything before the court."

He added he did not understand how the legal system worked in the United Kingdom.

However, Maroofkhail's DNA from semen was found in two pairs of the girl's knickers and on a brown sofa, which she claimed they had sex on, and the jurors discounted his evidence.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, told the defendant as he appeared in the witness box: "It is a fact in this case that your DNA was found in three places from your semen."

Maroofkhail will be sentenced on December 23.