Man locked up for raping girl, 12

A 20-year-old man has been given two years' custody after admitting raping a 12-year-old girl at a party in Shropshire.

Aaron Rowley, of Marsh Meadow, Admaston, Stafford, was sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institution at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.

The court heard Rowley had previously admitted rape of a girl under 13 at a house in Market Drayton on April 12 last year.

Rowley made the admission on the basis he had not known how old the girl was and she had instigated the consensual sexual intercourse.

He was also barred from working with children for life and made subject of the requirements under the Sexual Offences Act.

Judge Robin Onions said laws were put in place to protect young girls and men over 18 had a responsibility.

"I recognise there is a need here to protect people of the victim's age, not only from the actions of boys, but the consequences of their own behaviour, though this is no criticism of the victim, far from it," he said.

"The sentence you will serve must act as a punishment for you and a warning to other young men."

The mother of the girl, who cannot be identified, said the rape had stripped her daughter of her childhood, leaving her with "no self worth whatsoever."

She said the family, who lived in Market Drayton at the time, had moved to Telford to escape upsetting memories.

"After learning he was given a custodial sentence for two years and not allowed to work with children for life this is punishment enough and I hope he learns from this terrible incident," she said.

"Hopefully we can all start to rebuild our lives and put this dreadful incident behind us. My daughter is a bright spark, she's full of life and she's flamboyant, but if you see her now it has changed her, what she has been though over the last year as a victim. She has no self-worth whatsoever now, not just because of what he put her through but because of the whole ordeal.

"My daughter is not embarrassed about what happened to her, but she is very upset and she was so scared about it afterwards.

"She has had her childhood taken away from her and it was not her choice."

By Rhea Parsons and Abigail Bates