A 22-YEAR-OLD man has been cleared of raping a girl aged 14 but convicted of having unlawful sex with her.

Mohammad Ahmed was warned by the trial judge at Bradford Crown Court that he may go to prison when he is sentenced on March 13.

Ahmed, of Denby Street, White Abbey, Bradford, was unanimously acquitted by a jury of forcing the girl to have sex with him in her bedroom on August 30, 2013.

But he was found guilty of three offences of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Peter Benson told Ahmed yesterday: "These are serious matters and the court will be considering custody in your case."

Ahmed's bail was extended while a report is prepared by the probation service.

Judge Benson warned him not to contact the girl and he was ordered to sign immediately on the sex offenders' register.

Ahmed's barrister, Frida Hussain, said sentencing options ranged from a high level community order to two years imprisonment.

He was only 20 at the time and was in employment.

Philip Standfast, barrister for the Crown, pointed to the "significant age difference" between Ahmed and the girl.

During the trial, the court heard that Ahmed fled from the teenager's Bradford home after her parents arrived back unexpectedly when they were in her bedroom.

He hid in the cellar and fled through the front door after her mother saw him through the letterbox.

The girl's father grabbed his coat but he broke free.

The teenager told the jury Ahmed hit and kicked her before dragging her upstairs and raping her.

Mr Standfast said she suffered bruising to her head, neck, arms and legs.

But the jury heard that the girl's father slapped, punched and kicked her after Ahmed fled the house.

Witness Jahanzaib Khan said he saw the man attacking his daughter that day.

Mr Khan said he heard shouting and screaming coming from their house.

"The father was being proper aggressive towards the girl. He was screaming, shouting and swearing in a foreign language at his daughter. He was slapping her, punching her and kicking her," he said.

Ahmed told the court he "never laid a finger" on the girl.

He was afraid her father might beat him up after the confrontation in the house.

Ahmed said he believed the girl was 17 years old, and fast approaching her 18th birthday.

MissHussain suggested to the girl that she kept asking Ahmed for sex.

The teenager admitted asking him round to the house that day, saying she wanted to challenge him about seeing other girls.

She admitted keeping the relationship a secret from her family.