Internet porn blamed after boy of 12 rapes girl neighbour, nine

A BOY of 12 who raped a nine-year-old girl has been spared a custodial sentence after a judge heard that he had been acting out pornographic scenes he had seen on the internet.

The boy from a Scottish island community had viewed hardcore pornography then copied what he saw with the girl who lived next door.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday the judge, Lady Smith, decided that the boy, now aged 14, should be dealt with at a children’s hearing where control and supervision could be exercised over the youngster.

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“It can provide a clear structure in which you can be firmly guided and instructed how to behave… you should [not] and must not regard pornography as any guide at all as to how to behave sexually,” said Lady Smith.

The court was told that a generation of youngsters was in danger of growing up with a “skewed” view of sex because of easily accessible website images.

The boy admitted charges of raping the girl and sexually assaulting her.

The advocate-depute, Jane Farquharson, told the court that the boy, who had never been in trouble before, was placed in residential care after the offences came to light.

The girl had asked her mother whether she might have a sore stomach because she was going to have a baby. She became hysterical and disclosed what the boy had done to her on different occasions in her garden shed and in his bedroom. The rape had been watched by a friend of the boy, also 12.

The defence counsel, Sean Templeton, said that the boy had unfettered access to the internet at home, and admitted to the police he had viewed “hardcore pornography”.

Mr Templeton said such websites had been discussed by the boy with his schoolmates.

“It seems this is the sort of thing children in the first year of secondary school are readily discussing and readily accessing,” he added.

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Websites identified by the boy had been checked by his lawyers who discovered that they contained scenes like the acts he carried out on the girl.

“He is emulating that behaviour… it is emulation of adult acts witnessed by him at a young age. This is a topic parliament is discussing at present – how to protect young people from accessing such websites and such images,” said Mr Templeton.

He suggested that the boy’s offences might be “the tip of the iceberg” and that others were not being reported and coming to anyone’s attention.

“There is a real risk that young people of the current generation of teenagers are growing up with a skewed view of what sex is, and sexual activity. They are getting their education from pornographers. He acted out scenes he ought not to have seen. He knew what he was doing was wrong. He did not know how wrong it was,” said Mr Templeton.

He argued for a remit to a children’s hearing, so there would be a structure put in place for supervision and support. He said the girl’s mother had stated: “I would just like him to get help.”

Lady Smith said the accused appeared before her as a child.

“None of that is said for the purpose of condoning or approving of your conduct,” she added. “This is an opportunity for you to… put your mistakes behind you, and think carefully what it was like for the nine-year-old and what she is now living with.

“It is very important you take advantage of the benefits now available to you.”

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