Mark Greenway 31

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A 31-year-old man has been jailed after admitting to raping a 12-year-old girl at a Southampton hotel following contact on TikTok.

Mark Greenway claimed he believed she was 19 when they met for sex in his hotel room, but the judge ruled it should have been obvious he "had been misled."

Southampton Crown Court heard Greenway met the child at the Novotel in August last year.

Prosecutor Robert Bryan said Greenway received a friend request from her at 4:02am on TikTok, leading to an agreement to meet at his room, where he was staying for road resurfacing work.

Greenway arranged a taxi for her, telling the driver she was his cousin. During messaging, he asked multiple times if she was really 19; she affirmed but mentioned being small and running away from home.

In the taxi, he messaged: "WTF, you are not 19."

She arrived at 7:08am; he met her outside, gave her a key card, and instructed her to sneak up alone. She was in his room over two hours, leaving at 9:21am.

Shortly before 9:30am, she reported the incident at the police station across the road. Police arrested Greenway at the hotel at 10am.

Mr. Bryan said Greenway should have seen she was "plainly a child."

Greenway admitted two charges of raping a girl under 13 and taking category A and B indecent photographs and videos by recording the encounter.

Judge William Mousley KC said: "You maintained your honest belief was that she was 19. That may have been your belief at the time. I am quite satisfied that it was an unreasonable belief. By the time you met her face to face, seen her appearance, and heard her language, it should have been dawning on you only too keenly that you had been misled."

Mitigating, Francesca De Costa said Greenway repeatedly asked her age, birth year, and for ID: "There is evidence to suggest it was encouraged by the complainant in this case. She made first contact. She repeatedly told him she was 19 years old. Even asked if she had any ID."

Greenway, of previously good character, made full admissions, believing she was 18-20.

Judge Mousley sentenced Greenway, of Spon Lane, Atherstone, Warwickshire, to four years in prison with one year on licence. His phone will be forfeited and destroyed, and he must sign the sex offenders' register for life.