Raping 12-year-old he met online.

Man Jailed for Eight Years for Raping 12-Year-Old Girl He Groomed Online

A 26-year-old man, Oscar Fitzgerald, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl he had groomed online. Fitzgerald, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, arranged to meet his victim online and drove her to his house.

The girl was reported missing by her mother and was found after texting her mother. Police described Fitzgerald as a "dangerous sexual offender."

Fitzgerald, who had pleaded guilty to three counts of raping a girl under 13, had made contact with the girl on social media the same day she went missing last September. Police stated he was aware she was only 12 years old.

The victim told officers that she was taken to Fitzgerald's house, told to go upstairs, and was then raped despite telling him to stop. She was able to text her mother while walking home after being dropped off at a bus stop.

Fitzgerald was arrested at his home after the girl provided police with his first name, the color of his car, his phone number, and a description of his house.

Detective Constable Stephen Clarke of Suffolk police commended the victim's courage for providing an immediate detailed account, which helped officers identify and detain Fitzgerald. "We have been able to remove a dangerous sexual offender from the street," he stated.

Fitzgerald has been placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.