Teenage girl is lured for sex via chat room

Simon Webb, 20, met the girl, who had just turned 14, and took her up to Westbury White Horse where he carried out the assault, a court heard.

Webb now he faces the prospect of jail after a court heard how he had sex with the girl in September 2002.

Lynn Matthews, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Webb and the schoolgirl held a number of conversations over the internet before agreeing to meet.

She said that on the first two occasions the girl met Webb she took a friend with her but after that they agreed to see each other alone.

"That took place on September 12, 2002, when she was just 14 years old," Miss Matthews told the court.

"The defendant suggested that they went to the white horse and there they went in his vehicle. They stopped in the car park. It was dark, there was no one else around.

"After some general chat he told her to undo her trousers. She didn't. Then he undid them and, as she said, jumped on her.

"In her video interview she explained she had said no to sex, saying she did not want it before she was 15 years old.

"When he lowered her trousers she did nothing, neither did she feel upset. They went on to have sex. She said, in interview, when he asked if she liked it she blanked him."

Miss Matthews said that the night before the incident e-mail correspondence between the two of them made it clear that they were to have sex the following night.

But afterwards the girl became upset when Webb failed to contact her again, sending a message saying 'You only used me'.

She told her mother and a friend about what had happened but she was not consistent about whether she wanted sex or not and the matter was reported to the police.

The court heard that it was clear from the messages sent between them that he was aware of her age.

Webb, of Royal Oak Close, Chippenham, was charged with rape, indecent assault, and two counts of abducting a child.

At first he denied all four charges but changed his plea to guilty to the indecent assault charge. The other charges were left to lie on the file.

Jonathan Simpson, defending, said that his client was "well aware of the consequences and ramifications" of pleading guilty to the indecent assault.

He said Webb was employed and his mother was in court and aware of what had happened.

Adjourning for a pre-sentence report Judge Tom Longbotham told Webb "You have pleaded guilty to what is a very serious charge.

"You are aware of the serious approach that the court will take to this matter.

"I want to make it perfectly clear that all sentencing options are open. There is a real probability of a prison sentence. Do you understand that?"

He released Webb on bail on condition he comply with the probation service and have no contact with the victim. He also ordered that Webb register as a sex offender.

Rules for staying safe on the internet

Hundreds of Wiltshire children meet people they met via internet chat rooms putting themselves in grave danger, say police.

Fortunately incidents of rape and assault have been rare, though several high profile cases have illustrated the potential dangers young people face.

The case of a young girl in Manchester who disappeared with a man from the US hit the headlines last year.

Earlier a 21 year old Swindon man was sentenced to four years in prison for indecently assaulting another 14 year old girl he contacted via a chat room.

Wiltshire police are working hard to make young people aware of the potential pitfalls of meeting up with people they have contacted via the internet, and police liaison officers are visiting schools with an internet quiz.

Sgt Roger Bull said that these offences are relatively rare but a Tomorrow's Voice survey involving 2,300 children in Wiltshire showed that seven per cent of the respondents had agreed to meet up with someone they had met on the internet without checking with their parents and 11 per cent had been made to feel uncomfortable by things said in chat rooms.

"The internet is a fantastic resource for fun and education and general interest but there are potential dangers because you just don't know who you are taking to," said Sgt Bull.

"People who prey on children are very clever and very devious and very practised in this.

"They will say things to try and worm their way into the affections of young people and to prey upon them."

The on-line quiz can be found at www.wiltshire.police.uk.

All the answers can be found in the information on the website and one winner will receive a computer.

Sgt Bull said: "Some schools are using the quiz in IT lessons, and we have had liaison officers going into schools. We are also working on creating an information pack for schools."

The campaign promotes the six-point plan to staying safe in chat rooms:

The six points are as follows:

Don't give out personal details such as your name, age and photograph, or any information that could identify you.

Don't take other people at face value they may not be who they seem.

Never arrange to meet someone you've only ever met on the internet without getting permission from an adult. Meet in a public place and with a responsible adult.

Always stay in the public areas of a chat room.

Don't open an attachment or download files unless you know and trust the person who has sent them.

Never respond directly to anything you find disturbing save or print it, log off and tell an adult.