Sex offender abducted and raped 12-year old girl after grooming her online.

A 66-year-old man, Dinato Rizzi, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl he met online.

Rizzi, from Netherhall, Leicester, was found guilty of 13 offences at Nottingham Crown Court. The court heard that Rizzi knew the girl was under 16 and had planned how to cover his tracks if caught. He contacted the girl online and later claimed he was unaware of her age, a claim dismissed as "completely absurd" by Detective Constable Sue Cockerill, who investigated the case.

The victim bravely shared her experience with police after her mother discovered she had been in contact with Rizzi. The mother contacted police in January, providing screenshots of messages exchanged between Rizzi and her daughter. The girl told police that she met with Rizzi on several occasions and that sexual activity took place at his address.

Detective Cockerill revealed that messages exchanged between the two showed Rizzi, known locally as Dean or Deano, acknowledged the girl's age and discussed ways to cover his tracks. Police are still investigating Rizzi and suspect he may have other victims, examining devices recovered from his home.

Detective Cockerill stated, "Rizzi claimed that he didn't know that the girl was under 18, a claim which is completely absurd. Anyone who takes one look at this young girl can see she is that – a young girl who doesn't even look like she could be 16 years old let alone 18."

The young victim's mother shared the devastating impact the offences have had on her daughter, saying, "She should be at a point in her life where she is looking forward to her future but she feels she doesn't have one. She can't see her friends as much and her schoolwork has suffered massively. Her social development has suffered in many ways as well and she continues to sleep in my room at night."

Detective Inspector Gary Bee, who leads the force's exploitation team, highlighted the dangers of online predators and urged parents to have safeguards in place to monitor their children's online activity. He stated, "Rizzi's level of offending against such a young child is particularly concerning and I would urge anybody with any concerns around historic or ongoing abuse by him to contact Leicestershire Police, your concerns will be dealt with confidentially and by specially trained officers."