A man accused of impregnating an 11-year-old girl has claimed that the girl had sexual intercourse with him while he slept.
*Photo used for illustrative purpose*
A man accused of r*ping and getting an 11-year-old girl pregnant claims she may have sexually assaulted him by having s*x with him when he was asleep, Metro UK reported.
The man identified as Justin Armstrong, 38 is accused of abusing the girl for 18 months before she eventually confided in one of her mother’s friends.
He was arrested on Friday, two weeks after tests showed the youngster was four months pregnant. Prosecutors at Springfield District Court said Armstrong repeatedly told the victim he would be arrested if she told anyone, but she finally broke down and told of the alleged abuse.
The pregnancy was aborted five days later and a DNA examination was carried out on the foetal tissue, but testing has not been completed.
Defense lawyer Anna-Marie Puryear said the case hinges on the outcome of the DNA test results. When the defendant was told the youngster was pregnant he claimed she may have ‘raped’ him while he slept, Assistant District Attorney Jill O’Connor said.
Armstrong, of Springfield, Massachusetts, denied having sex with the girl and told police she claimed a younger relative had been sexually abusing her for years, according to the Republican newspaper.
The defedndant has voluntarily submitted a DNA sample and is cooperating with police, his lawyer Anna-Marie Puryear told the court.
Judge Robert Murphy set at $50,000. Armstrong is due to appear in court again on August 24.