Four Southampton youths yesterday denied having unlawful sex with a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleges the males each had intercourse with her separately between May and September last year.

Two 18-year-old cousins admitted having sex with the girl. One stated he knew she was 15 at the time and the other said he thought she was under 16 ? the age of consent ? but did not know for sure. The other two accused, who are aged 22 and 25, strongly denied the charge and all four pleaded not guilty at Magistrates? Court to having unlawful carnal knowledge with a girl under 16.

The girl told Senior Magistrate William Francis yesterday that she had sex with the first 18-year-old accused at his home on May 30. In his bedroom, the youth asked her ?are you going to let me get it? ? meaning having sex ? and she agreed.

She said she had intercourse about a further 30 times with the youth at place known as the ?Spot? on the Railway Trail in Southampton and that she also performed oral sex on him.

Crown counsel Wayne Caines read statements the youth gave to Police when he confirmed he knew the complainant was 15 and that it was illegal. When asked why he did it if he knew it was illegal, he said: ?I didn?t think it would come to me getting arrested for it.?

He also told Police he saw the girl having sex with other youths but wouldn?t give their names. The court heard the first accused shared a bedroom with his cousin in Southampton and the cousin also had sex with the girl there. The schoolgirl said in August she went into the bedroom with the second accused and two of his friends.

The two friends went outside and the cousin shut the door and began kissing her. He put on a condom and they had sex. Midway through, he asked if she wanted him to stop and she said ?no?.

The next time they had sex was at the Spot, she testified. They only had sex twice.

In statements to Police, he admitted having sex with the girl and said he thought she was 15, but said he ?didn?t think it would make a difference?.

He added: ?She is very dirty, like a ho (whore).?

The girl told Mr. Francis the third accused pulled up next to her in a car with another male and two girls inside on September 4 last year.

One of the girls asked the schoolgirl and a female friend to come to the house she shared with the third accused, said the girl. She said she asked the defendant if he had the money, but told the court yesterday she could not remember how much money it was or what it was for.

She testified that he said it was in his bedroom so she followed him inside. Once there, the 22-year-old picked her up, put her on the bed and put on a condom, she said. She claimed she then took her underpants off and they had sex.

In court yesterday, the defendant said she was never in his bedroom and they did not have sex. ?What has she got against me to get me into this situation,? he said.

Mr. Francis asked the girl: ?Are you really telling me the truth?? She replied ?yes?.

In statements to Police, the 22-year-old said: ?I don?t associate with the girl. I have never had sex with her. I have never even had a conversation with her and she has never been to my bedroom.?

The schoolgirl claimed she had sex with the fourth accused at his storm damaged home the day after Hurricane Fabian on September 6.

The 25-year-old man?s friends were cleaning up the house, which had lost windows and a kitchen roof, when she claimed he asked her to come to his bedroom. She claims he asked: ?Are you going to let me have some?? and she replied ?yes?.

The accused began crossing examining her yesterday by saying: ?All the fairytales are finished??

When she said she sat on a couch in the living room, he said: ?There was nothing to sit on.?

He told Police during interviews: ?We did not do anything sexual or anything.?

The two cousins chose not to give evidence while the 22-year-old and 25-year-old will get the chance to testify when the trial resumes.

The cousins were represented by a lawyer who withdrew because they did not have Legal Aid approval and the older pair had never had legal representation.