A MAN who had sex with a 13-year-old schoolgirl after plying her with drink has today been jailed for three years.
Shafique Miah, 22, was convicted of sexual activity with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity after a five-day trial at Burnley Crown Court.
He was cleared of two allegations of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.
The court previously heard how Miah, of Brougham Street, Burnley, had sex with the 13-year-old girl at a rented house in Burnley after he and another man plied the girl, and her friend, with drink.
The teenager, who was also said to have had sex with the second man, ended up with a 'love bite' on her neck from the defendant.
She told the court she could hear her friend, who had gone to the property with her, sobbing downstairs, during the incident in March last year.
Swab samples taken from the girl matched his DNA.
He was picked out on a video identity parade but denied being involved.
Miah claimed to a jury he had thought the girls were over 16.
He was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and was given a three year sexual offences prevention order, under which he is prohibited from allowing any female under 16 into the place where he is living and is not to communicate or associate with any girl under 16.
He will be banned from working with children for life by the Independent Safeguarding Authority.
Judge Jonathan Gibson told Miah that having seen the girls give evidence, it was obvious they were under 16.
He said he had reduced the sentence because the defendant had named the other man and had been on remand in custody for five months awaiting his fate.
The judge said: "I do not find you are a dangerous offender but you were an adult.
"You must take responsibility for what happened and indeed young girls such as the victims need to be protected."
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