Girl thought 'husband' was too old: court

A 12-year-old girl who "married" a man in NSW and fell pregnant soon after, initially refused his advances because he was "too old", a court has heard.

The girl was initially spotted by the 27-year-old man in a mosque in NSW who instantly became interested in marrying her.

While they didn't speak on that occasion, court facts state the man made contact with her through a family member.

After the man first met the girl, who cannot be named, she said "she did not wish to marry him as he was too old", court facts state.

But the man got her telephone number and continued to pursue her, sending more than 50 text messages on two occasions in November 2013.

She didn't respond to any.

The court heard the man, who also can't be named, resumed texting her again in December.

This time she did respond and the pair began sending each other more than 200 messages a day.

In January 2014, the court heard the pair arranged for a sheikh and witnesses to meet them for a "marriage ceremony".

After the ceremony, fruit, chocolates, water and soft drink were brought out for everyone to enjoy and the man gave the girl $500 as a wedding gift, facts state.

For more than a month following the ceremony the pair had sex several times a day across various locations in NSW.

After he was charged with child sex offences in February last year, the court heard the girl was taken to hospital suffering a sharp abdominal pain.

"A further examination was carried out and it was discovered that the complainant was having an ectopic pregnancy and miscarried," facts state.

The man has since pleaded guilty to the persistent sexual abuse of a child.

At his sentence hearing on Wednesday, his barrister Alex Radojev said the pair had a "very mature relationship" which was not based on ownership.

The matter will return to court at a later date.