A man from Lowestoft who raped a 12-year-old girl after meeting her online has been jailed.

Oscar Fitzgerald, 26, pleaded guilty to three counts of raping a girl under 13 at an earlier hearing at Norwich Crown Court, and was today jailed for eight years.

Suffolk police was contacted by the girl’s mother on September 2 last year, reporting that her daughter had not been seen for several hours.

Officers searched for her and when they found her walking home, she said she had been raped.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she met the man after chatting on social media.

He drove her to Lowestoft where she was raped before being driven back to near her home.

Police tracked Fitzgerald down at his home in Church Road, Lowestoft, by 2am the next day.

A Suffolk Police spokesman said: “She described arriving at the address and being told to go upstairs.

“She was then raped, despite her telling him to stop, before being driven back and being dropped at a bus stop not far from her home.

“Forensic evidence found at the scene supported the girl’s account, as did other inquiries made by officers.”

Detective Constable Stephen Clarke said: “I would like to commend the courage of the victim in this case who, despite being driven to the home address of Fitzgerald and subjected to an abhorrent crime, provided officers with an immediate detailed account.

“It was this prompt action that led officers being able to identify and detain Fitzgerald at his home address.

“As a result we have been able to remove a dangerous sexual offender from the street.”

Fitzgerald was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.