'Vampire obsessed' man raped girl

A man said in court to be obsessed with vampires has been found guilty of raping a 13-year-old schoolgirl.

Leon Forde, 20, of Shuttleworth House, Lincoln, was also convicted of a series of other sex attacks on the girl.

She claimed she had once seen him cut himself and drink his own blood, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Forde, who described himself as a member of the "alternative community", was found guilty on two charges of rape. He will be sentenced later.

He was also convicted of two indecent assaults and five offences of having sex with a girl under the age of 16 between May and October 2002.

Forde was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for cutting her chest with a razor blade, leaving her permanently scarred, after blindfolding her for a "game".

He was cleared of a second charge of assault, relating to an alleged attack in which he was said to have cut her back and drunk her blood.

'Gothic phase'

Mr Justice Hunt remanded Forde in custody after adjourning sentence.

He had denied prosecution claims that he was obsessed with vampires but admitted he had been through a "Gothic" phase in his life.

He said that in the past he had painted his face white with black lines, like the main character in the notorious horror movie The Crow.

Forde said he regarded his relationship with the girl as "a friendship with small extras" but said he had no sexual contact with the teenager.