Man acquitted of rape

A 32-year-old man who had consensual sex with a 14-year-old girl was acquitted of rape but given a suspended jail term for defiling her and offending public morals. The man, who according to a forensic psychologist needed constant psychological care, met the girl in an MIRC chat room in July 2006. There, they exchanged MSN addresses and began chatting privately. The girl said that they spoke and joked about sex and she told him that she had sexual experiences before. He told her he was 19. They arraigned to meet on two occasions and both times they had sex in his car in Hal Far. The girl said she told a teacher he had threatened her that he would circulate an edited photo of her online and that was why she came forward. She later admitted in court she had been lying and that she only came forward because she thought she was pregnant. In his testimony the man said he had been sexually abused when he was a young altar boy by a helper. He said he had had a difficult upbringing because of a violent father and did not know it was against the law to have sex with a minor. Magistrate Audrey Demicoli acquitted him of rape but found him guilty of defiling the girl and sentenced him to two...