Barman Michael Graham, 25, had pleaded guilty to four charges of rape on the girl one night and the morning after the pair had drunk vodka and beer and smoked skunk cannabis at his flat in Ash Road, Headingley.

The court heard the girl had told Graham she was a 19-year-old mum after they met on a website and she had consensual sex with him.

Judge Jennifer Kershaw QC said she had seen images of the girl in school uniform giving video evidence to police and an image of how she presented herself on the website.

Judge Kershaw said: "The contrast between her appearence on those two very different occasions is striking."

Sentencing Graham to a 12-month conditional discharge, Judge Kershaw said: "I accept the defendant did not know how old this girl was. I accept he did not know she was under the age of 16, still less did he know she was in fact 12."

She went on: "It seems to me that this defendant was deceived. He was deceived in a number of material respects both beforehand and during their encounter.

"It is putting it too high to describe that which she did as sophisticated but it was certainly deliberate, it was sustained and it was unfortunately effective."

The girl told her parents she was spending the night at a friend's house on Friday March 7.

She didn't return home until 5pm the day after and her worried family had by then called police.

The girl told police she packed a condom in her overnight bag before spending the night with Graham and having unprotected sex.

The court heard Graham met the girl on a social network site where she posted a picture and profile of herself.

They sent messages to each other on the MSN internet service before texting, then calling each other and finally meeting up a number of weeks later at Leeds Bus Station on March 7.

Kama Melly, for Graham said the girl was inundated with messages from men who logged on to her Netlog entry, adding: "All of those men potentially could have found themselves in the position Mr Graham is in today."

The court heard a psychiatrist's report on Graham concluded he had no sexual interest in children and is not a paedophile.

Graham's name will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for 12 months – the minimum required by law – and he was made the subject of a 12-month Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning him from contacting the girl.

He had admitted four counts of rape of a girl under 13.

A spokeswoman for children's charity the NSPCC warned that the internet can leave youngsters open to abuse.

"The Sex Offences Act 2003 protects children from abusers who groom children in internet chat rooms. Once contact is made, it can escalate very quickly to mobile phone, text messaging, and eventually face to face contact.

"It is important that children are encouraged and educated to surf safely.

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