A teen party organiser, already convicted of engaging in sexual activities with minors, was yesterday remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to defiling a 15-year-old girl.

Joel Caruana, 25, from Tarxien, pleaded not guilty to engaging in sexual activities with the underage girl last week and in the preceding months.

Police Inspector Sylvana Briffa told Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona this was the third time Mr Caruana had been arraigned over similar crimes.

He was also charged with committing the crime during the operative period of a suspended jail term and with relapsing.

Mr Caruana has been on the sex offenders list since he was found guilty of engaging in sexual acts with a 13-year-old girl in 2010. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years.

Three years later, in February 2013, he was sentenced to two years in jail, suspended for four, after he was pictured cupping the breast of a 14-year-old at one of his contentious I Love Music teen parties. He was also found guilty of participating in sexual activities with the girl, offending public morals and committing the crime during the operative period of the first suspended jail term.

Ms Briffa objected to a request for bail by Mr Caruana’s defence lawyers, Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili, on the basis that the minor still had to testify and there was a possibility the accused could tamper with evidence.

Sources said police investigations began when the teenager’s mother stumbled upon Facebook chats between her daughter and Mr Caruana.

Police Inspector Robert Said Sarreo also prosecuted.