Shropshire man jailed for having sex with 13-year-old girl

Jake Sloan was 17 when he started bedding the teenager - who cannot be named for legal reasons - in Cleobury Mortimer.

His barrister Adrian Roberts told Shrewsbury Crown Court there was "not much to do" in the town for young people – apart from "sex, drugs and the skate park".

Sloan, from Cleobury Mortimer, admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child at a previous court hearing and appeared at court to be sentenced.

Mr Simon Rippon, prosecuting, said it happened between December 2010 and December 2012.

"They started hanging out at McDonald's, exchanged numbers and started talking on Facebook and discussed going out," said Mr Rippon.

"There was a four-year age difference, she was 13 when it first happened.

"There is no question he would have known her age, she was the same age and in the same year as his younger sister."

Mr Rippon said the pair would take drugs including cocaine and cannabis while together as well as drinking alcohol and the girl developed behavioural problems at home and at school.

Mr Roberts, for Sloan, said: "There is not much to do in Cleobury Mortimer – there is sex, drugs and the skate park.

"He was clearly doing something he shouldn't have been.

"But to say he was grooming her is unfair. They were in love and having, in their eyes, a normal sexual relationship."

Judge Robin Onions banned Sloan from working with children for life and also ordered that he should sign on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Sentencing him, the judge said: "It's perfectly clear she wanted a relationship with you, and that you wanted a relationship with her.

"I accept this relationship was fully consensual but you were four years older than her. If you had any respect for her you would have waited.