Paedophile Jailed for Facebook Grooming

Robert Ive, 29, has been sentenced to four years in prison for grooming and having sex with a 13-year-old girl he met on Facebook. Ive, who billed himself as a "special guy," lavished the girl with attention and affection online, convincing her they should meet. The girl, who had been bullied at school and sought solace online, had only been in contact with Ive for a matter of months, if not weeks, before she succumbed to his charm.

Ive's actions were described as "predatory" by Judge Tom Longbotham, who said Ive had identified the girl and had sex with her. "It seems that was the only reason to contact her. You took every opportunity to have sex with her," the judge said.

The girl's disappearance sparked a major police investigation, which involved specialist units examining her phone and computer to see who she was in contact with. The girl's mother also made desperate attempts to contact her daughter before Ive drove her back to the outskirts of the city the following morning and left her to make her own way home.

Ive, who worked as a cloakroom attendant in Yates' Wine Lodge, spent hours online using Facebook and MSN, where he befriended the girl. Detectives believe Ive could have more victims across the country and say investigations are continuing to determine if he has been in contact with other schoolgirls.

The case has raised concerns about the safety of children online, and Facebook has unveiled plans to transform its privacy settings, making it easier for members to stop their personal information being viewed by people they don't know.

Detective Inspector Simon Baker, who led the investigation, said: "Children want to grow up so quickly now and some girls in their early teens can have a tendency to think they are older and more independent than they really are. They don't realise they are incredibly vulnerable in these situations and there are people out there who will take advantage."

A spokeswoman for Facebook said: "We are deeply concerned by both the crimes committed by Robert Ive and his determination to groom young people online. We have co-operated with the police in this matter and disabled his profile when this came to light, and will continue to work with them in any ongoing investigation."

"This case serves as a reminder that all Internet users must use extreme caution when talking to or meeting people they only know via the Internet. Facebook's top priority is to maintain and improve safety for our users. Educating young people about safety online is vital and that is why we recently launched the UK's biggest campaign on this issue. This involves a £5m initiative aimed solely at teaching young people to take responsible decisions online."