A Thurgoona man accused of using Facebook to try to organise to have sex with a fictitious teenage girl has decided to fight the allegations.
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The 14-year-old girl at the centre of claims was actually an undercover detective.
Shaun Douglas Bassett, 24, has been formally arraigned on two charges before the District Court in Albury.
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On each charge being read out to him, he interrupted the judge's associate before she was able to ask how he intended to plea with a forceful "not guilty".
Judge Sean Grant set down a mention date for trial, before a jury, of February 22, 2021, on the charges, which were laid by the Albury police criminal investigations unit.
The first charge alleges that Bassett used a carriage service, in Thurgoona, to procure a person under the age of 16 years for sexual activity, between October 8 and November 19, 2019.
The allegation is that Bassett tried to "disseminate a location to another person, name a fictitious recipient", in order to have sex with that person.
Further, police have alleged that Bassett believed the person to be 14-years-old.
The second charge alleges that Bassett use a carriage service to solicit child abuse material.
The delay in the allegations going to trial was a direct result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"That's unfortunately what the coronavirus has done to jury trials" Judge Grant said.
He told defence lawyer Tim Hemsley that it remained to be seen whether the ongoing trends in the pandemic would ultimately lead to further delays.
The first jury trial before the District Court in Albury for several months has been set down for September 21.
Judge Grant pointed out to Mr Hemsley that there were other impacts on Basset's trial from the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the trial would most likely get under way on the Wednesday after February 22.
That was to ensure the courthouse precinct did not become congested with the jury panel on the busy Albury Local Court list days of Monday and Tuesday.
Hearing and other rooms in the building have been re-purposed to ensure social distancing can continue while a jury is being selected and empanelled.
Bassett made no other comment during his arraignment.
