Teenager jailed for having sex with 12-year-old.

Southampton Man Convicted of Rape

Scott Chapman, 18, of Manor Farm Road, Bitterne Park, Southampton, has been convicted of two counts of rape of a girl under 13 and one count of assault by penetration. He met the victim, who was only 12 years old, through a social network site. The girl had posted herself as being 17, but when she met Chapman, she told him she was 15.

Chapman and the girl went to his uncle's home, where they stayed for the night and had sex. The following morning, Chapman took the girl by taxi to her foster mother's home. The girl, who had been reported as missing, told police she needed the morning-after pill.

Prosecutor Andy Houston told Southampton Crown Court that Chapman admitted to the charges. Judge Derwin Hope sentenced Chapman to ten years in prison and placed him on the sex offenders register for ten years.

Chapman had five previous convictions. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of online interactions and the importance of verifying the age of individuals online.