A MAN accused of raping a 14-year-old said he broke down when he found out the boy's age.

Sex therapist Nicholas Gully, of Rottingdean, claimed to be unaware of the boy's age until he was arrested, and when told he said "this is bad."

Giving evidence, Gully, 48, who is accused of two counts of sexual assault and one of rape, told the jury at Hove Crown Court that he thought the boy was 16 or 17, erring on the side of caution with the legal age of consent.

He said his "age range" is between 18 and 25, and told the court that when the boy stood up he "looked 18."

He told jurors the boy engaged in sexual contact and wanted to perform oral sex on him, to which Gully "pushed him away" after "ten or 15 seconds."

He said he thought the teenager was interested, as they had "made eye contact a few times" in the communal area of the King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove.

Gully said he was "there to have a shower" because he did not have time to go home before a meditation class he was running.

The trial continues this afternoon.