A 17-year-old man today admitted raping a 12-year-old girl after getting in contact through social media.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted raping the girl at his Aberdeenshire home twice within two days,
The offence was committed on June 18 and 19, last year.
The accused, who worked as a kitchen porter, met the girl after chatting on Snap Chat.
Prosecutor Bernard Ablett said: “The complainer is a schoolgirl and was 12 at the time of the offences.
“They became known to one another through a mutual acquaintance via Snap Chat social media. As a result, over the following days, they communicated to one another, with some of the messages being of a sexual nature.
“In one text message the accused made reference to his sister knowing how old the complainer would have been:- “My sister will know how old u are too haha xxx.” . ..”
The couple met on June 18, 2016 and had sex. Initially the girl refused unless they were going out.
When the accused asked her if she wanted to be in a relationship with him she agreed to have sex with him.
They also had sex the following day.
When the accused’s mother asked him if he knew how old the girl was he told her was 14 and they were just friends.
Shortly afterwards the accused ended the relationship with the complainer.
She told a friend that she had had sex with the accused and was ashamed and didn’t want her father to find out.
Eventually her parents parents found out and the police were contacted.
When interviewed the accused, who is a first offender, denied knowing the girl and said he had never met her and she had never been his girlfriend.
Mr Ablett said: “Although he then advised the police that he thought she was 12 years old and further stated that he knew that “the legal age for having sex” was 16.
Judge Lord Burns deferred sentence until next month for background reports and placed the teenager on the sex offenders register.