Three years for illegal immigrant in child sex

Leeds Crown Court heard the 14-year-old victim had a reading age and understanding much younger than her years and had no proper sense of danger or risk.

Eritrean national Awet Gebrehiwot did not speak much English and was not aware of the extent of her problems, his counsel Nicholas Lumley told the court, but accepted she was wearing school uniform at the time they met.

Michael Smith, prosecuting, said the girl agreed it was she who had first waved at Gebrehiwot and then engaged him in conversation before agreeing to go to his home in Grantham Towers, Burmantofts, Leeds.

Once inside his flat he locked the door and they went into the bedroom where he began fondling her breasts and unfastening her bra.

She told him to stop and he did but she then asked for sex. She later said she thought she might get into trouble with the police and school if she said "no".

Afterwards she dressed and left but then reported what had happened at school. Police recovered a DNA profile from her underwear but at the time in 2007 Gebrehiwot was not known to police.

He was only matched when he was arrested in March last year for an unrelated matter.

Mr Smith said the defendant was in the UK illegally. He had first arrived in 2005 and claimed asylum but was eventually deported to Italy. He had then entered the country again.

Gebrehiwot, 22, admitted sexual activity with a child.

Jailing him, Judge Peter Collier QC said he accepted the defendant was not aware of the extent of the girl's vulnerability but he must have known she was under age. It was likely that he would be deported automatically at the end of his sentence.