A rapist who had sex with a 12-year-old girl he met in McDonald’s claimed he did it to make his former girlfriend jealous.
Nathan Ali took his victim from the fast food outlet to a student house, where his ex girlfriend lived.
The 22-year-old then raped the child while the occupants of the house were out.
A court heard his former partner and her flatmate returned home, saw them in bed and contacted the police after realising she was a child.
Ali and the schoolgirl had got into a conversation about Snapchat in McDonald’s, which led to them going to what she thought was his home.
Ali, of Bridant Road, London, admitted rape of a child under 13 on the basis the victim had told him she was 17 when they started chatting.
Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to four-and-a-half years behind bars with a one year extended licence period, according to Newcastle Chronicle.
Stephen Littlewood, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: “The two women discovered the defendant, naked in bed, along with the victim, who was wearing a top but no underwear.
“They formed the opinion she was a child aged around 14 or 15.
“He had no right to be in the property.”
Mr Littlewood said Ali had gone into the student house, in Newcastle, about three to four times, without permission, after the breakdown of his relationship with one of the residents.
The judge said although Ali may have been told the girl was 17, the two women at the student house believed her to be 14 or 15 and said although exact age is difficult to determine from sight alone, she looked “young”.
Judge Adams told Ali: “You say your intention was to make your ex partner jealous.
“She was one of the people who found you in her flat.”
The judge added: “The two females appear to have immediately formed the view she was a child.”
Ali must sign the sex offenders register for life, abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and was given a restraining order to keep him away from his ex for five years.
The court heard Ali, who was 21 at the time, has never been in trouble before and is an “intelligent man”.
Paul Cross, defending, said: “This was a young man thinking he was having sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old, who was willing to have sexual intercourse with him.”
Mr Cross said the victim did not look as young as her true age.
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