Raped a 12-year-old girl after posing online as a teenage girl.

Man Jailed for 14 Years for Raping 12-Year-Old Girl After Posing Online as Teenager

A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years and four months in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl from Hampshire after posing online as a teenage girl.

Gary Cooper, of Windsor Drive, Hertford, pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court to the sexual grooming and rape of the girl.

Cooper created a fake profile on a social networking site, pretending to be a 15-year-old girl named Chantelle. He used this profile to meet his victim in July 2011 and subsequently took her to Hertfordshire, via Essex, where he raped her.

The judge, who described Cooper as "highly manipulative," sentenced him to 14 years and four months in prison. After being reported missing, the girl was found by Hertfordshire Police the following morning.

A police investigation revealed that Cooper had committed a series of offenses against the 12-year-old and another girl, to which he also pleaded guilty.

Det Insp Dave Storey, of Hampshire Constabulary, stated: "This incident highlights the ease with which online paedophiles can use social networking sites to communicate with children. Parents should be mindful of who their children are communicating with and any arrangements that are made following contact."