Soap star denies raping 16-year-old

Former Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman has denied raping a 16-year-old girl he met on holiday two years ago.

According to The Mirror, Freeman, currently standing trial in Barbados, broke down in court after admitting that he slept with the girl.

Freeman told the High Court how the girl's step-mother introduced the pair and "offered the information" that she was 16.

"She seemed a nice, bright, interesting girl," Freeman said. "She was smiling and laughing a lot, so she seemed quite fun.

"I knew that she was younger than me the first night we spoke but she seemed mature for her age."

The actor is accused of forcing the girl to have sex with him by a hotel pool in November 2006.