A 32-YEAR-OLD man who had sex with a 14-year-old girl has told the Old Bailey there was a "mutual attraction" between them.

Assad Hussain is one of nine men on trial accused of running a child sexual exploitation ring in Oxford.

The former taxi driver told the court he had sex with the alleged victim known as Girl 5. But he said she never told him she was 14 or that she was living in a children's home.

And he told the jury he felt "betrayed" and "upset" when he found out she was underage when he was arrested in March last year.

Hussain, who is known as "Ash", is also accused of raping Girl 1 when she was aged between 13 and 15.

Wearing a grey jumper, he chose to give evidence standing up and admitted having sex with Girl 5 by garages near Domino's Pizza where he worked.

But he said she told him she was 17, though he thought she was older.

Prosecutor Neil Moore asked him: "What attracted you to 14-year-old (Girl 5)?"

But Hussain said: "Obviously I didn't know she was 14 at the time. We just had a mutual attraction towards each other."

Mr Moore asked Hussain what he, then 30-year-old man, had in common with Girl 5. He said: "At not one stage did you get the inkling you were talking to a 14-year-old girl, who I suggest would be interested in 14-year-old girl things?"

Hussain said: "No, never."

And Mr Moore asked why Hussain chose to have sex with Girl 5 behind garages, adding: "Is it because you knew you were treading on thin ice sleeping with such a young girl?"

Hussain said: "No, not at all."

But Mr Moore later said: "This is codswallop isn't it? You were interested in (Girl 5) sexually because she was such a young age."

Hussain said: "That's not true. I believed her to be 17."

The court heard the girl and Hussain exchanged more than 200 text messages over a weekend. Hussain said: "We got on quite well to be honest. She was quite fun to be around."

Hussain also told the court he was acting on legal advice when he answered "no comment" to police questions when he was arrested.

Hussain said he had never met Girl 1 when asked by his barrister Mark George.

Girl 3 claimed she had had sex with Assad Hussain in Wood Farm when she was underage but he was acquitted of that last week when Judge Peter Rook told the jury to return not guilty verdicts as not enough evidence had been put forward.

Yet Hussain, of Ashhurst Way in Rose Hill, told the court he had also never met the complainant.

He said: "She is greatly mistaken. I have never had anything to do with that area."

The nine defendants deny all charges against them. The trial continues.

Nine defendents deny 66 charges. They are:
-Kamar Jamil, 27, of Aldrich Road, Summertown, Oxford, denies five rapes, two charges of conspiracy to rape, one of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and one of trafficking for sexual exploitation.
-Akhtar Dogar, 32, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies five rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
-Anjum Dogar, 31, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies three rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
-Assad Hussain, 32, of Ashhurst Way, Rose Hill, Oxford, denies rape and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
-Mohammed Karrar, 38, of Cowley Road, Oxford, denies seven rapes, four charges of conspiracy to rape, two of trafficking for sexual exploitation, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, serious sexual assault, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, using an instrument to procure a miscarriage, and supplying a Class A drug to another.
-Bassam Karrar, 33, of no fixed address, denies three rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two charges of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
-Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford, denies three charges of sexual activity with a child.
-Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, of Palmer Road, Wood Farm, Oxford, denies two charges of sexual activity with a child.
-Bilal Ahmed, 26, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead, denies sexual activity with a child.