AFTER a week-long trial, a man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl during the Covid pandemic.

Benjamin Brookes, 26, was charged with several counts of sexual activity with a child who was 14 years old at the time.

On Monday (January 22) at Oxford Crown Court, he was found guilty by a twelve-strong jury of three counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

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He was found not guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child.

Brookes looked down and showed no reaction as the verdicts were delivered.

During the trial, it was heard that Brookes and the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were in a relationship during 2020 and had several sexual encounters.

However, Brookes, of Brunswick Place, Banbury, denied ever having met the girl, stating he had spoken to her a few times on social media but had not seen her in person.

Brookes is now due to be sentenced at the same court on February 29 in order for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Judge Maria Lamb has granted Brookes conditional bail, stating it was an ‘exceptional case’ that bail was granted to allow Brookes to prepare for the potential sentence he faces.