A TEENAGER who indecently assaulted a schoolgirl told a court he believed his victim wanted to be his girlfriend.

Nineteen-year-old Matthew Smith met the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when he moved to Worcester this year and befriended a group of 12 to 16-year-olds.

After meeting for the sixth time in Nunnery Wood, the pair were "egged on" to go into the trees together, a court heard.

The 12-year-old girl lay next to Smith and passionately kissed him but panicked when he began undoing her jeans.

Doreece Gunter, prosecuting, said the chain of events on July 9 started when the girl asked him to buy cigarettes for the group "like he usually did".

"He gave them two each in an attempt to get in with them," she said.

"He asked the girl for a kiss to which she replied "love ya", but said she was joking.

Smith put his arm around her, which she reciprocated, told her he loved her and the pair went into the woods.

"He cleared a space of leaves and put his jacket on the ground," said Miss Gunter.

"The others encouraged her to lie down with him, which she did."

When Smith started undoing her jeans, she panicked and stopped him, but was pulled on top and given a lovebite.

The next day, Smith, of Liverpool Road, Ronkswood, waited outside her school and became upset when she said she did not want to go out with him.

In interview, she admitted being confused during the incident and scared when she saw him waiting outside school.

"She couldn't understand why a boy of 19 would want to go out with her," said Miss Gunter.

Paul Hitchcock, defending, said Smith knew she was 12 but thought it was the start of a relationship.

"He got favourable answers from the other girls about her and things escalated from a cigarette, then a kiss," he said.

"He says he was egged on by the group but realises he may have crossed the line."

Magistrates, who said things were made worse by the fact Smith knew her age, sentenced him to an 18-month community rehabilitation order and put him on the sex offenders' register for five years. He admitted indecent assault.