A MAN from Kent has been jailed for nine years for raping a Sandwell schoolgirl.

Joshua Brown was given the girl’s phone number by a friend and they began texting.

Police said Brown knew the girl was only 12 at the time, but continued their conversations - resulting in thousands of texts between them over six weeks.

Eventually he travelled to meet the girl and raped her in the back of his car.

A few weeks later the girl disclosed what had happened to her mother and the offence was reported to police.

Brown, aged 34, from Robin Hood Green, Orpington, was traced through his car registration and arrested by Met Police.

Although he initially denying any offences, police downloaded both phones, and found thousands of messages between them where he repeatedly made reference to her age and knowing he would go to jail.

He was charged with two counts of the rape of a girl under 13, grooming a child, possession of indecent images of a child and inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He pleaded guilty to all offences at his first hearing before Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday June 19.

Brown was sentenced to nine years in prison with a further year on extended licence. He will also be subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 20 years.

PC Adrian Jackson, from the West Midlands Police Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team, said: “We commend the girl’s bravery in coming forward and her tenacity throughout the investigation.

“We have specialist officers who understand how difficult it is to report offences of a sexual nature, and we are there to help victims through every step of the investigation and prosecution.”