Marine ‘had sex with girl, 12’

A FORMER United States marine who “groomed” a 12-year-old British girl on the internet had sex with her in a Paris hotel, a court heard yesterday.

Toby Studabaker, 33, flew to the French capital with the girl after an arranged meeting at Manchester Airport on July 12, 2003.

The following night they drank vodka in the hotel before having sex in their room.

Studabaker, from Michigan, yesterday pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to child abduction and to inciting a child to commit gross indecency.

The court heard that a year earlier the pair had “met” on the internet.

Beverly Lunt, prosecuting, said Studabaker had “groomed” the girl “so that she would not object to the sexual activity that took place once they were out of the UK”.

After the hearing, the girl’s family, from Greater Manchester, said the ordeal last year had been “absolutely horrendous”.

Studabaker was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register and will be sentenced on April 2.

It is not the first time Studabaker, who was decorated for his military service in Afghanistan, has faced allegations of a sexual nature.

In 1998 he was accused by a family member of groping his 12-year-old niece’s breasts during a game of play wrestling.

Later he was accused of giving bubble-gum flavoured sexual lubricant to a nine-year-old niece and suggesting she use it on him. In both cases no charges were brought.