A MAN accused a raping a young girl when he was teenager has denied ever having met his alleged victim.

Adam Blake, also known as Adam Harris, aged 28, denies raping a child under 13 along with three counts of indecent assault and indecency towards a child between 2001 and 2004.

Blake, previously of Oldfield Road, Bishopdown Farm, and now of Westbury, took to the stand today (Thursday) and said he had never heard of his alleged rape victim.

In examination by defence barrister Frank Abbott, Blake rejected the girl's claim that they had gone on a bike ride together before the alleged assault. He told the court that he had not even owned a bike at the time.

Mr Abbott told Blake: “She describes you saw her on her bicycle and you went off on a cycle ride with her.”

Blake replied: “I had a bike when I was about six or seven.” He added that he had never borrowed a bike to be able to commit the alleged act as a teenager.

Jurors heard that Blake was seen as a “father figure” among children on the Bishopdown Farm estate and would sometimes decide what games they played.

Blake said he never played on the estate but instead would spend his free time in Old Bishopdown, Laverstock and Bemerton Heath – where none of the alleged offences took place.

“I used to spend time at my sister's in Bemerton Heath," he said.

"My stepdad used to drive me up there or I used to get the bus.”

He said that he spent time away from the estate drinking and smoking with people of his own age, and when he was there he used to play on his Xbox in the family home – always with a family member present.

In cross examination, Rebecca Austin, prosecuting, said the alleged offences had “escalated” and that Blake had been “practising” with his first alleged victim.

Mrs Austin, in her closing statement, said Blake had moved away from the estate 11 years ago.

She said the girls had gone to the police station and “made complaints” “without any word, conflict or argument”.

She added that if the girls had made up the allegations then it was likely they would not have provided witnesses and may have made more serious accusations.

Also in closing, defence barrister Mr Abbott said the statements from the three alleged victims had “elements of vagueness” and that Blake “vehemently denied” the allegations.

Mr Abbott told jurors that they have to consider whether the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had come together to make up the accusations against Blake.

The trial continues.