A 21-YEAR-OLD man who repeatedly had sex with a schoolgirl and took partially nude pictures of her has been given an eight month jail term.

Anthony Price, then a part-time barman, had at first pleaded not guilty to under-age sex and claimed the victim could pass for 19 - but he had sent her a card on her 14th birthday.

He had been also "warned off" the girl, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Sentencing, Judge Stuart Baker told the defendant he had known what he was doing was wrong and he had taken advantage of her.

He said: "This is not a case of a 16-year-old boy going too far with his 15-year-old girlfriend. You were a man and she was a girl."

The judge told the court the offence was serious and added he would be failing in his public duty if he did not send Price to prison.

Price, now 22, of Clayton Street, Barnoldswick, who has no previous record for sex offences, admitted unlawful sexual intercourse. He was earlier ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said Price admitted having intercourse with the teenager more than once but less than nine times. They first had sex on Christmas Eve 2002 and the defendant told the girl to keep it a secret. He and the 14-year-old also had sex at his home. The girl told her sister what had been happening and she told their mother.

Police were contacted and last February 19 the victim was video interviewed. Mr Lamberty said the defendant, who attended the police station nine days later, told officers the victim could pass for 19 claimed he had never thought about her age but wanted nobody to find out.

Price agreed he had taken some photos of the girl partially clothed, but said it was for a laugh and he had deleted them at her request.

Ken Hind, defending, said Price knew the court would consider custody, but a community rehabilitation order would be an appropriate sentence. The girl was a willing participant and nothing unnatural or peculiar happened.

The barrister told the court the complainant was a "fully mature woman" and it was not the first time she had had intercourse. Mr Hind continued: "There was no exploitation. The girl had been introduced to the pleasures of the flesh. She was willing and had the sexual experience." Mr Hind said Price was deeply ashamed and had had time to think about his behaviour. He recognised the long term impact of what happened on the victim, that such behaviour should not happen, and his actions were not to be repeated.