A 44-year-old man of Nausori has pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges.

The accused is charged with two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The court heard yesterday that the accused allegedly raped his stepdaughter.

The alleged incidents occurred between 1st January to 31st December 2017.

The defense also filed a bail application and the state strongly objected to bail.

The state objected saying the accused and the victim have a domestic relationship and there are high chances of interference.

The court also heard that the girl had to drop out of school as she was not able to cope with school work due to the effects of the alleged crime.

The case will be recalled this Friday for bail ruling.