A MAN accused of marrying a 12-year-old girl in a religious ceremony has been granted bail despite telling authorities he is keen to see his “wife’’ again and insisting he has done nothing wrong.

The 26-year-old was charged with 25 counts of sexual intercourse with a child after they “married” in the girl’s living room in the Hunter region after meeting at a mosque earlier this year. The crown opposed bail at Burwood Local Court yesterday saying the man — a university student — had told police “he feels like he has done nothing wrong” by courting and marrying the now 13-year-old.

The court heard there was a real danger of him reoffending as he was keen to continue to the relationship with the teen.

But his lawyer said his client was a talented mathematics student who was in Australia on a student visa and hadn’t even held a female’s hand before marrying the girl.

The court heard he had arrived from a remote part of Lebanon five months ago. His lawyer told the court the girl’s father had supported the marriage with the wedding taking place in her family home.

Magistrate Beverley Schurr gave the man strict conditional bail but said this case was a warning to others. “There is one marriage law in Australia and it must be strictly complied with,” she said.

Under his bail conditions, the man is not allowed to contact the girl or her family.

The teenager is in the care of the Department of Community Services.

He is to live with his brother in Sydney, his student visa will be replaced with a criminal justice visa and a curfew will bans him from leaving the house between 8pm and 6am.

He is also banned from visiting two NSW mosques, his family will need to provide a $20,000 surety, he cannot leave NSW, he has to surrender his passport and not approach any point of departure.

“These are very strict bail conditions,” Magistrate Schurr said via an interpreter. “If you breach these conditions you will end up back in prison for as long as this case takes.”

The 61-year-old Muslim convert father of the girl was charged with procuring his young daughter for sex. The imam who allegedly performed the ceremony, Riaz Tasawar, 35, was also charged.