A man who groomed a teenage girl in Congleton has been jailed for three years.

Raheem Rahman was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday, 30 June. A sexual harm prevention order was also imposed for an indeterminate period.

The 23-year-old, from Andrew Mulligan Close, Tunstall, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of grooming and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

The court heard Rahman had been talking to the teenage girl on Snapchat before arranging to meet on Monday, 23 January in Congleton.

At approximately 8.10am, Rahman collected the girl in his car and drove to a country lane, believed to be in the Astbury area, before stopping the car and sexually assaulting her.

He then drove the victim back to Congleton and dropped her off near a local school.

Rahman was located after footage from a Ring doorbell helped identify the car he was driving.

He was arrested the same day at his place of work in Congleton.

During an interview, he admitted talking to the girl on Snapchat but initially denied any sexual contact with the victim, saying he had picked her up and then dropped her off at school. However, he later pleaded guilty.

Along with a three-year custodial sentence, Rahman must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and is subject to a restraining order.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Simon Mills of the Eastern Crime Unit, said, “Firstly, I would like to thank the victim for her bravery throughout this investigation, and we hope this case encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward.

“Rahman would have been well aware of the age of the victim but in spite of this, he chose to sexually assault the girl.

“I also hope that this case acts as a warning to others about the potential dangers of social media.

“Rahman met his victim online and he purposefully used social media as a tool to groom the girl before taking advantage of her

“We treat all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.”

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, or know of someone who has, please call us on 101 or visit cheshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/how-to-report-rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/ .

Information can also be reported anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.