He had cultivated their friendship online despite her parents warning him she was under-age.

The man, 27, app-eared for sentencing in the District Court at Albury where Judge Chris Robison imposed a minimum term of eight months expiring on December 4.

Previously the man pleaded guilty before a magistrate in April to four counts of sexual intercourse with a girl aged between 14 and 16 and was committed for sentencing before a judge.

He knew the girl for about 12 months before the sexual intercourse took place and at first she claimed her age was 17.

But her mother and stepfather told the man her correct age and advised him to stay away.

He contacted the girl through Facebook and Skype and resumed communications with her.

The man picked up the girl from the country location where she lived and took her to his residence where he boards in central Alb-ury on August 18 last year.

They watched a movie before the man said to her: “Can we have sex?”.

The girl declined but he took off her clothing and over a two-day period had sexual intercourse with her four times.

It was later, on Aug-ust 19, when the girl went to a nearby motel and told staff she had been sexually assaulted.

The police were notified and the following day investigators from the Albury-Wagga child abuse squad attended the boarding house.

They had a crime scene warrant and exe-cuted it on the man.

He was told about the allegations made by the girl and claimed whatever she said was false.

When asked whether he had sex with her, the man admitted it, was arrested and later interviewed.

The man said during his interview that he knew the legal age for consensual intercourse was 16.