Judge to sentence man who had sex with girl he befriended on Bebo

A man is to be sentenced today for having sex with a 13-year-old girl that he befriended on the social networking site, Bebo.

The 24-year-old pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two charges of defilement of a child at his home on April 29, 2011.

The man, who is from Dublin, used a false name and claimed to be 19 when he requested a friendship with the teenage girl on Bebo.

They swapped phone numbers and sent each other texts before meeting up.

He brought the 13-year-old girl back to his parents home and had sex with her twice in his bedroom.

Clinical psychologist Dr Patrick Randall told the court the 24-year-old does not have paedophilic tendencies but his emotional immaturity means he is drawn to younger children.

The 24-year-old is in custody - his sentencing has been put back on a couple of occasions to allow the Probation Service time to assess him.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring wants to know what sort of treatment will be available for him when he is released from prison.