Teenage boy raped girl, 12, in stairwell whilst wearing balaclava
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA teenager who raped a 12-year-old girl in a stairwell whilst wearing a balaclava walked free after the victim's dad handed over evidence showing she asked for sex, a court heard.
The defendant from Romford, east London - who cannot be named for legal reasons - spent the last seven months on remand at HMP Oakwood, but was released after a sentencing hearing at Inner London Crown Court.
The 17-year-old boy was 15 when he met the victim on an online chatroom app between January and February 2022, the court heard.
The pair messaged "on a friendly basis" for one to two weeks before he asked to see her, suggesting they meet on a bus. He told her his real age of 15 but she - aged 12 - added two years to her age, telling him she was 14. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. Prosecuting Usha Shergill said: "[He] wanted her to go with him to a friend's house. [She] declined.
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