FORMER youth worker James Bibby has been jailed for two-years and placed on the sex offenders' register after admitting having sex with his 13-year-old girlfriend.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Bibby, of Springfield Road, Biddulph, was aged 18 at the time of the offence, which took place in February 2010.
Prosecutor Peter Arnold told the court: "They struck up a relationship over the internet and began meeting about four or five weeks before the offence. They entered a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. The defendant knew how old she was.
"He asked her if she wanted sex. She said she didn't, he said he loved her and they started kissing.
"On February 18, they met again. She said she was scared of doing it. After a little time they did have sex.
"It was her first time. She told a friend some days later and matters came to the attention of her mother and the police were brought in."
Mitigating, Kevin Mortlock told the court: "He takes the view that she was more mature in certain aspects of demeanour than he.
"He is dyslexic and his adoptive parents have tried to seek help for him. He has some cognitive defects.
"Each new level of contact was instigated by her.
"His friends are younger than him. He did some voluntary work in a youth centre. He felt more comfortable with people younger than him.
"They became boyfriend and girlfriend. He believed it an equal relationship.
"At no point is it suggested he was taking advantage of this child.
"Bibby accepts he raised the issue of intercourse.
"This matter only came to light when her brother told her mother she had an older boyfriend.
"In an email to Bibby she says, 'I will wait for you, you will be with me when I'm 16, I love you'. They clearly have feelings for each other.
"He wrote to her mother asking for a chance to prove himself.
"At the time he perhaps didn't have that insight and understanding that he was too old and she was too young.
"He had no idea of the gravity of the offences at the time."
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones told Bibby: "I don't consider this was predatory contact by you.
"Nevertheless, when it became boyfriend and girlfriend you should have cooled matters.
"Instead you were the one to suggest that sex took place."
In addition to the prison sentence, to be served in a young offenders' institute, Bibby was also disqualified from working with children.
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