A sex attacker who plied his 12-year-old victim with alcohol before raping her is today behind bars.

IPSWICH: A sex attacker who plied his 12-year-old victim with alcohol before raping her is today behind bars.

Alasoji Osinowo was convicted of the sexual offence after a jury of eight men and four women returned their unanimous verdict at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

He was sentenced to four years in prison.

The 36-year-old and a friend were “cruising the streets of Colchester for sexual partners” when they picked up the victim, who lived in a children's home in Essex, and a friend and took them to a flat in Ipswich on June 1, 2008.

Osinowo, of Dartford, then “plied” the 12-year-old with alcohol, getting her into the “drunk and befuddled” state he wanted her in, the judge said.

Giving evidence, Osinowo's victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had been “hammered out of her head” and could hardly walk because of the amount of drink she had consumed.

With her consent he then had sexual intercourse with her.

The girl had told a teacher at her school the following day, explaining what had happened and the police were alerted.

Addressing Osinowo in the dock, Judge David Goodin said: “That is rape with a girl under the age of 13. It is particularly unattractive by a mature man such as you.

“I accept that you did not believe her to be 12-years-old, she looked older and it is likely you believed her when she said she was 16.”

He said the girls had willingly gone with Osinowo and his friend but that he had had his “way with her”.

During his trial, the father-of-two young daughters denied any form of sexual contact with his victim. Giving evidence, the student at South Bank University in London said the girl could have got his DNA on her underwear by sleeping in a bed he had slept in the previous night.

As the verdict was read out, Osinowo stood in the dock shaking his head.