A SEX offender from Rugby who groomed and had sex with an underage girl has been jailed.
Matthew North, 28, from the Eastlands area, pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to nine counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15.
He was sentenced to five years and four months in prison.
The offences occurred in the early 2020s at a house in the Rugby area.
A key witness had suspicions that North was in a sexual relationship with the girl and hid an iPad to record the offending. She contacted police and North was arrested.
North originally denied the offences, but later admitted to them after being presented with the recording along with the account from the victim.
Det Cons Reece Bruce, a child abuse investigator at Warwickshire Police, said: “Firstly I would like to recognise the bravery and resilience of North’s victim throughout the investigation and court process.
“North’s actions were despicable. He deliberately groomed his victim over a period of time. He belongs behind bars.
“I hope his victim can move forward and continue to rebuild her life.
“We will never tolerate this type of offending and I hope this outcome gives other victims of sexual offences the confidence to come forward. We will listen, we will investigate, we will support you and we will work to bring offenders to justice.”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/358a64v3 for more information about child abuse and how to report concerns.
